NewsBusiness Magazine for English readers living in Tianjin, Binhai and North China. Expats and locals can find updated News, Events, Business Opportunities, Rent and Sale, Transportation, Train, Flights Schedule, Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Entertainment,...http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=1&Itemid=2
Sat, 25 May 2019 15:42:01 +0000Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Managementen-gbTrain ticket site 12306.cnadds waitlist functionhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14368:train-ticket-site-12306cnadds-waitlist-function&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14368:train-ticket-site-12306cnadds-waitlist-function&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2China's national railway operator has on Wednesday added a new function to help people buy tickets on the booking site 12306.cn and its related app.

When the desired train tickets are not available at the ticket booking site and the app of the China Railway Corporation, a person can use the "waiting" function, and the system will add the wanted ticket information to a list.

One person could make an order for three tickets in the waiting list, and the function will be free and much more efficient than other third-party software to grab tickets, according to the operator.

When ticket buyers cancel or change their tickets, the system will allocate the returned tickets to waiting buyers on the list.

To use this function, people have to pass a verification process on their status through facial recognition.

They will have to prepay the maximum price for each ticket, and once they have obtained the tickets, the difference from the actual fare will be refunded. If they failed to get tickets, the system will also return their money.

The operator will timely inform people as to whether they have successfully bought tickets through short messages, WeChat or mobile app information. The function will end the service at 7 pm at least one day before the train's departure date.

Step2:Check if the train shift you need has waiting list. One person could make an order for three tickets in the waiting list.

Step3: After submit successfully, people have to prepay the maximum price for each ticket within 30 mintues. Once they have obtained the tickets, the difference from the actual fare will be refunded.

]]>China socialFri, 24 May 2019 07:00:03 +0000Tianjin builds 300 5G base stationshttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14367:tianjin-builds-300-5g-base-stations&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14367:tianjin-builds-300-5g-base-stations&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27Tianjin will accelerate the development of 5G and has built over 300 5G base stations in the city, local telecom sources said.

5G Indoor Distribution Base Station In Tianjin

Tianjin would be a key investment destination of China Mobile to develop the 5G industry, and the city will be included in the first batch of Chinese cities to have uninterrupted 5G network coverage.

Posters showcasing China Mobile's 5G tech are displayed at the Second World Intelligence Congress, which was held at Tianjin Meijiang Exhibition Center

China Mobile has opened a 5G innovation laboratory, launched over 20 5G application demonstration projects, and worked to establish a 5G industrial digital alliance to promote industrial cooperation and development in the city.

It is expected that 5G technologies will be applied in fields including smart cities, port transportation, smart medical treatment and electricity and energy by 2021.

]]>Tianjin FinanceFri, 24 May 2019 06:49:16 +0000Alexandro Querevalú: The Last of the Mohicans 28/May Buy ticketshttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14366:2019-05-23-07-11-22&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14366:2019-05-23-07-11-22&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2Alexandro Querevalú: The Last of the Mohicans

Date: Tue, May 28

Time: 19:30

Price: 80,120,180,280

Venue: Jinwan Grand Theater

老鹰之歌·最后的莫西干人音乐会

演出时间：2019年5月28日 19:30

演出地点： 津湾大剧院

票价：80,120,180,280

*1.2米以下儿童谢绝入场

Two steps to buy tickets:

1. Scan below QR Code to buy ticket! 扫下面二维码买票!

2. Scan below QR code and send to us your contact information:

扫下面二维码发给我们您的信息:

- Type of tickets 票档位

- Number of Tickets 张数:

- Your name 您的姓名:

- Phone number 联系电话:

- Address 邮寄地址:

We will send to you the tickets (extra charge), or you can pick up tickets 1 hour before show at the entrance of the Theater.

我们将会将演出票快递给您, 您也可以演出前1个小时到剧院入口处取票.

“This song makes me cry” The Last of the Mohicans, composed by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman for the film of the same name, is the signature tune of Alexandro Querevalú. As the heading indicates, this masterpiece not only makes the performer cry but also millions of people all over the world! The sentiments expressed in Alexandro´s interpretation of the music has a uniting effect on the hearts of people of all races, nations, religions and cultures.

Alexandro Querevalú is a brilliant performer, one of the best of his kind, and the one whose popularity has spread more than that of any other performer by means of social networks worldwide to the United States, Europe, Asia, the Arab countries and Australia. This is due to the unique way that he plays these indigenous instruments of both North and South America. The versatility, the eloquence, the sadness and the happiness which he expresses in his musical interpretations are felt deep within the soul, which is why he himself says “this song makes me cry”.

Alexandro was born in Lima, Peru, to a humble but hard-working family. The oldest son of the family, he dreamed of helping his family financially. With this in mind, he emigrated to Poland at the age of 18.

He plays a wide variety of wind instruments, such as the Quena, Quenacho, Antara, Basto Zampona and Malta Zampona, among others. He has a large repertoire, including The Last of the Mohicans, El Condor Pasa, and many other favourites. His live performances dressed in different Native American costumes are truly breathtaking. Alexandro still lives in Poland and regularly gives live performances on the promenade in Swinoujscie. He was also a contestant on a Polish talent show.

]]>Tianjin SocialThu, 23 May 2019 06:59:52 +0000Tianjin to include AI in engineering certification categoryhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14365:tianjin-to-include-ai-in-engineering-certification-category&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14365:tianjin-to-include-ai-in-engineering-certification-category&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27Authorities in Tianjin plan to include artificial intelligence (AI) as part of its engineering certification, the first of its kind nationwide.

The evaluation standards for the newly added professional title have also been unveiled, according to the municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau.

Those engaged in AI related production, research and development can apply for the certification, regardless of their academic background.

An underwater robot displayed at the World Intelligence Conference

AI experts from Tsinghua University, Nankai University and Tianjin University, as well as technical directors from the National Super Computer Center in Tianjin and Huawei's innovation center, have hailed the decision, saying that it will be conducive to attracting talents in the field, and stimulating workers to polish their expertise.

Driverless cars compete during the 3rd World Intelligent Driving Challenge in Tianjin

China's AI market is expected to reach 96 billion yuan this year.

]]>Tianjin FinanceThu, 23 May 2019 06:49:26 +0000China World Summit Wing, Beijing Announces New Wedding Venue for 2019http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14364:china-world-summit-wing-beijing-announces-new-wedding-venue-for-2019&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14364:china-world-summit-wing-beijing-announces-new-wedding-venue-for-2019&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2On 20 May 2019, China World Summit Wing, Beijing joined hands with China World Mall to hold the “Love in the Air” press conference to announce the official launch of Atmosphere Bar as a wedding venue.

Perched more than 300 metres above Beijing on the 80th floor of the hotel, Atmosphere has always been a beacon of style and sophistication and one of the city’s hottest nightspots. Now, it is also set to become one of Beijing’s most sought after wedding venues, offering couples a uniquely romantic setting for their big day high above the clouds.

Sixteen luxury brands like Tiffany, FREYWILLE, ETRO, LAPERLA, VIVIENNE TAM、Rose Studio from China World Mall have cooperated with China World Summit Wing, Beijing for the launch event, offering exclusive benefits and service for guests who book their ceremony at the hotel. Ms Hu Xiaoxing, General Manager of FREYWILLE China, said, “I am delighted to cooperate with China World Summit Wing, Beijing,to create a one-stop wedding experience for the couple. For the holy day. FREYWILL specially offers a silk scarf worth RMB 1000 asa wedding gift for the couple holding the wedding ceremony at the hotel.”

China World Summit Wing, Beijing has put together a themed “Love Above the Clouds” wedding package to celebrate the launch of Atmosphere Bar as a wedding venue. Priced at RMB 188,888, the package includes use of the hotel’s sky garden for wedding photos, a pampering session at CHI, The Spa for the bride, and special room rates for family and friends.

]]>Tianjin SocialThu, 23 May 2019 06:38:45 +0000Wellington College Tianjin Charity Summer Fair 2019http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14363:wellington-college-tianjin-charity-summer-fair-2019&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14363:wellington-college-tianjin-charity-summer-fair-2019&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2Wellington College Tianjin’s Summer Fair has long been a key fixture on the school’s calendar, and this year was no exception. Glorious weather greeted more than 1600 visitors as they were entertained by a stunning series of musical performances on the main stage.

This year’s music was provided almost exclusively by pupils from the College, although there was time in the four-hour programme to squeeze in two guest appearances. Our friends from No. 45 Middle School once again enchanted the audience with their Xinjiang-themed performances, lighting up the stage with their grace and skill. In addition, the strong links forged with the professional musicians from the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra during our West Side Story show in March were once again in evidence, with Professor Chen conducting his ensemble of brass students in a rousing performance.

The Fair also hosts a huge range of activities for children too, from the inflatable castle and slide for the younger ones, to lessons in golf, judo, baseball as well as face painting and arts and crafts.

For those in need of refreshment, parents and vendors alike combined to offer a huge range of home-cooked food and dishes from across the globe. As an international community, we are proud of the variety of food and culture on show at the Fair each year.

The main purpose of the Summer Fair, aside from giving the community a chance to celebrate together, is to support local charities. This year, once again, we chose our long-standing partners at the Ru Hui autism rehabilitation centre because they have done so much to work with our pupils to educate them on the nature of autism and how we can best offer our help to children with that affliction. Wellington is committed to fostering a culture of service to others among its pupils, and the support we give to Ru Hui and other groups across the year is an important part of the learning here at the College.

Our very great thanks go out to all the staff and families who supported the day, as well as those from around Tianjin who gave their time and energy to supporting the event.

]]>Tianjin SocialWed, 22 May 2019 08:38:37 +0000Blacklisting Huawei takes the trade war to a dangerous new levelhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14362:blacklisting-huawei-takes-the-trade-war-to-a-dangerous-new-level&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14362:blacklisting-huawei-takes-the-trade-war-to-a-dangerous-new-level&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Resolving the trade war between the United States and China just got harder. Much harder.

Negotiations between Washington and Beijing were already on rocky ground following new rounds of tit-for-tat tariffs. Then, on Wednesday, the United States dramatically escalated its fight against Huawei, the world's largest telecoms equipment maker and one of China's national champions.

That could scuttle an agreement entirely.

An 'openly hostile act'

The US government has long argued that Huawei equipment poses a national security threat, and could be used by Beijing for spying. It's lobbying allies to exclude Huawei from next-generation 5G wireless networks. And earlier this year, the Trump administration filed criminal charges against Huawei, claiming that the company stole trade secrets from T-Mobile (TMUS) and violated US sanctions on Iran.

The barrage reached a new level of intensity on Wednesday.

In this file photo taken on April 4, 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speaks during a trade meeting with China's Vice Premier Liu He in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. Locked in a trade dispute for more than a year, officials from the world's two biggest economies returned to the bargaining table.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring US companies from using telecoms gear from sources the administration deems a national security threat. That action is seen as targeting China and Huawei, a leader in 5G technology and a global business with revenue of more than $100 billion.

The Trump administration also added Huawei to the so-called Entity List of companies it says undermine American interests. That means US companies may need a license to continue supplying Huawei with crucial components.

The details of the designation and exactly what it means for Huawei still need clarification. But the action serves as a threatening reminder: The United States could sever vital supply lines.

Doing so would kneecap the tech giant, which relies on US companies such as Qualcomm (QCOM), Micron (MICR) and Intel (INTC) for crucial parts. Without them, both the company and its network of customers in 170 countries would be at risk, according to analysts.

]]>China FinanceWed, 22 May 2019 08:09:53 +0000Google severed Huawei's access to key Android apps and serviceshttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14361:google-severed-huaweis-access-to-key-android-apps-and-services&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14361:google-severed-huaweis-access-to-key-android-apps-and-services&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Google has reportedly stopped doing business with the Chinese tech company behind the P-series and Mate-series smartphones. Functionally, the revoked Android license means delayed Google updates and, for Huawei's future devices, no access to apps like Gmail or the Play Store.

A Huawei store in Beijing. The Chinese company’s products have effectively been blocked in the United States, but its business has grown rapidly in Africa, Asia and Europe

Google confirmed the report on Saturday evening. "We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications," a company spokesperson wrote in an email. Reuters first reported the news via unnamed sources on Sunday afternoon, and The Verge followed up a couple hours later with — again, anonymously sourced — confirmation.

The move from Google comes in the midst of an ongoing trade war between the United States and China. It was likely prompted by an executive order Donald Trump signed on Wednesday that bars U.S. businesses from using telecommunications equipment made by companies that pose a national security risk.

With the license cut off, Huawei would only have access to the open source version of Android (or AOSP, for Android Open Source Project). Think of it as a more limited version of Google's operating system. Security updates arrive later and core Google apps and services aren't available.

This means no access to the Google Play Store, a critical gateway to the safest and most secure form of Android's app ecosystem. It's a significant threat to Huawei's smartphone business outside of China.

The municipal public security department said more than 42,000 people had registered either via the police's official online portal or the app. The department has also received 23,000 video clips of traffic violations uploaded by volunteers.

The reports include video clips on misdemeanors ranging from fake license plates to driving in highway emergency lanes.

Police offer a cash award of 100 yuan to a report that clearly shows an alleged violation with details of the violator's vehicle body and number plate.

Other Chinese cities like Shenzhen, Nanjing, Xiamen and Jinan have introduced similar measures in efforts to check a persistent rise in traffic violations.

Tianjin police warned people not to take videos while driving. Drivers are advised to participate in reporting by using automobile data recorders.

]]>Tianjin SocialTue, 21 May 2019 06:10:03 +0000Eating & drinking on subway will affect personal credit recordhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14359:eating-a-drinking-on-subway-will-affect-personal-credit-record&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14359:eating-a-drinking-on-subway-will-affect-personal-credit-record&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2Passengers found eating or drinking on the Beijing subway who do not stop when asked will face having their actions noted on their social credit score starting May 15th.

According to the Beijing subway passenger regulations which went into effect on Wednesday, passengers except for infants and those with medical conditions will not be allowed to eat or drink on the subway. Violators who do not stop after being asked to will be asked to get off.

The violation will also be recorded in the violators' credit record. The violator will be able to correct it by volunteering at subway stations.

The regulations also banned behavior such as one passenger occupying more than one seat and product promoting.

]]>China socialMon, 20 May 2019 08:18:17 +0000Spring Family Day @ TIS + "WAGO CUP" Badminton Tournamenthttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14358:spring-family-day-tis-qwago-cupq-badminton-tournament&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14358:spring-family-day-tis-qwago-cupq-badminton-tournament&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2TEDA International School is honored to host the European Chamber Tianjin Chapter 2019 “WAGO CUP” Badminton Tournament and Spring Family Day this Saturday, 25th May 2019, on the campus. TEDA International School invite you to join us for multicultural fun and games, and to enjoy food and drinks under the sun as we cheer on the badminton players. Try the baseball and archery, shop for handicrafts, and join the Treasure Hunt for a chance to win round-trip tickets to Europe! TEDA International School look forward to seeing you beginning at 9:00 on the campus for this exciting community event!

TEDA International School is located at No. 72 Third Ave., TEDA, Tianjin. For more information, contact the European Chamber at +86 22 58307809/7608.

]]>Tianjin SocialMon, 20 May 2019 08:02:12 +0000Foreign Couples no longer allowed to register marriage in Chinahttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14356:foreign-couples-no-longer-allowed-to-register-marriage-in-china&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14356:foreign-couples-no-longer-allowed-to-register-marriage-in-china&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2Two foreigners are not allowed to register their marriage at Civil Affairs offices in China (marriages between a foreigner and Chinese national are still permitted.) This means that two foreigners can no longer obtain a Chinese marriage certificate. This new regulation was published on March 29, 2019, and already went into effect nationwide.

Marriages in China are administered by the marriage registration office of the local civil affairs bureau, (民政局) in each jurisdiction. People planning to marry should visit or call one of these offices for specific information. The appropriate civil affairs office will be the one in the jurisdiction in which the Chinese citizen is registered (the location of their 户口hukou).

If a foreigner wants to get married with a Chinese citizen. The following documentation will be required, according to the US Embassy in Beijing.

- A valid passport with a valid Chinese visa

- An “affidavit of marriageability.” You can get this document at the Embassy or Consulate by swearing or affirming before a Consul that you are legally free to marry. You must make an appointment for a notarial service to get this affidavit, and there is a 300rmb charge. If either party was previously married, bring a clear photocopy of either the divorce or annulment decree or the death certificate which shows how the marriage ended. If you present an original certified copy with the copy for their review, the Chinese authorities will usually accept the copy. Hold on to your original documents, since they may be required if you later wish to file an immigrant visa petition for your spouse. Note: In order to complete your affidavit of marriageability correctly, you are highly recommended to bring a photocopy of your Chinese fiancé's ID card (身份证).”

- Three photos of the couple, taken together

- Registration fee

Questions regarding what documents the Chinese partner must submit should be directed to the local marriage registration office (婚姻登记处).

Marriage certificates are usually issued on the same day the registration takes place. Marriages that are legal in the jurisdiction in which they were performed are legal in the United States. It is not necessary to register your marriage at the Embassy, Consulate, or in the United States, nor do you need to re-marry in the States.

]]>China socialFri, 17 May 2019 11:23:01 +0000World Intelligent Congress Starts In Tianjinhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14355:world-intelligent-congress-starts-in-tianjin&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14355:world-intelligent-congress-starts-in-tianjin&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27The third World Intelligence Congress (WIC 2019) has started on Thursday in the Chinese city of Tianjin.

The topic of WIC 2019 is "Intelligence New Era: Progress, Planning and Opportunity." The congress will last through Sunday.

Officials, representatives of leading companies in the field of artificial intelligence technologies as well as experts from around the world will discuss issues of the artificial intelligence development, its practical application and ways these advanced technologies can change human life for better.

A world exhibition of artificial intelligence technologies with the latest innovations in the field will also be held in the framework of WIC 2019.

Moreover, the conference will host competition of unmanned vehicles World Intelligent Driving Challenge, competition of underwater robots World Underwater Robots Challenge and the Asia-Pacific RoboCup.

Visitors interact with a robot at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

A concept car of the Iconiq Motors is on display at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

An intelligent robot dances at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

Visitors watch intelligent fish swim at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

A drone is on display at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

Visitors watch a robot draw plum blossoms at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

Visitors try a panda intelligent bus at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

Visitors experience 5G technologies at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

An underwater intelligent equipment is seen at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

Robots dance at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

High-tech products are on display at the third World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

]]>Tianjin FinanceFri, 17 May 2019 11:03:46 +0000 Summer Aussie Weekend BBQ at Shangri-La Hotel, Tianjinhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14354:-summer-aussie-weekend-bbq-at-shangri-la-hotel-tianjin&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14354:-summer-aussie-weekend-bbq-at-shangri-la-hotel-tianjin&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2Chuck a snag on the Barbie! If you haven’t been initiated into the summertime joys of an Aussie barbecue – here’s your chance. Every Saturday and Sunday from 4 May to 1 September 2019, Café Yun will be firing up the BBQ in true Australian style and preparing a feast of grilled delights, including beef steaks, Aussie sausages, lamb chops, oysters, vegetables and much more. Café Yun’s full buffet is also offered, with fresh salads plus classic Australian desserts including pavlova and lamingtons. Indoor and outdoor seating is available and kids can also enjoy their own fun area for a memorable family weekend. Only RMB298 for single entry and get one ZipPiTeeDoo ticket by paying RMB50 more.For bookings or enquiries, please contact 022-84188416.]]>Tianjin SocialFri, 17 May 2019 06:22:36 +0000Porsche CEO Eyes Cooperation with Chinese Technology Giantshttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14353:porsche-ceo-eyes-cooperation-with-chinese-technology-giants&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14353:porsche-ceo-eyes-cooperation-with-chinese-technology-giants&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Porsche AG is exploring joint projects with Chinese technology giants including Tencent Holdings Ltd., Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Baidu Inc. to expand digital offerings in its largest market and bolster sales.

Country-specific features for voice recognition, navigation and integration of the ubiquitous WeChat messaging service will be developed locally, Porsche Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume said in an interview in Shanghai this week. The manufacturer also signed an agreement to expand its research cooperation with Tongji University on Wednesday.

“We want to have the right partnerships in place in each individual region,” Blume said. “It’s a misconception to believe all this can be developed in Germany.”

The 22-seat bus is equipped with more than 20 intelligent technologies, including self-driving, biometric identification system, autopilot, voice interaction and an intelligent unmanned retail system to name a few.

Passengers can get on the bus by simply swiping their hands through a fingerprint recognition system. They can also buy breakfast and dinner on the bus at the unmanned retail container installed inside the bus, which can cater to passengers' demands for food during the morning and evening peak hours.

Meanwhile, an onboard robot can communicate with passengers through a voice interaction function and help them plan their routes while informing them of possible transfer stations.

Apart from that, the onboard robot will monitor and record any suspicious behavior in real time and initiate an emergency response so as to prevent theft.

The three smart panda buses will run in a range of a 2.5-km-long area in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city at a speed of 15-20 km per hour.

Partnering with The One wedding planner, the Sheraton’s Grand Ballroom was transformed into a modern and romantic ambiance featuring blue as the main color that brought apassionate visual feast. The Spring Wedding Fair was characterized by the use of a profusion of flower decorations that creates a classy and refined castle of love.

The pillarless 700 sqm Grand Ballroom is continuously the ideal venue for any kind of wedding banquet for almost a decade now in Binhai. Whether it is Chinese or Western style, the versatile ballroom can be decorated with the preference of your choice. Sheraton Tianjin Binhai Hotel features a total of 1,200 square meter meeting and banquet space ideal for small to medium size social events.

Nestled at the most coveted address in the heart of the New Binhai Area, the Sheraton Tianjin Binhai Hotel designs the most unforgettable wedding for you and your beloved one to mark the milestone in your life. The hotel’s wedding planning and service team crafts every detail of the wedding to fulfill your fairy tale wedding dream and take your big day to a new romantic height.

Huawei is targeting to win 50% of the Chinese smartphone market by the end of this year as it seeks to wrest the global sales crown from South Korea’s Samsung. Under siege by the US over its 5G-enabled telecommunications network equipment, the Shenzhen-based company is looking to extend its lead in China’s smartphone market, in which it currently has a 34 per cent share. Huawei is on track to ship 250 million to 260 million smartphones globally this year, which would make it approach the No 1 position, its mobile chief, Richard Yu Chengdong, said during a conference in Shanghai on Thursday. “We’ve dedicated to building Huawei’s smartphone brands for six to seven years and we will become the world’s largest smartphone brand no later than next year,” he said.

Chinese mobile phone brands have largely succeeded in smashing people’s perception that domestic suppliers are only good for inexpensive, low-quality products. That stereotype has beset many Chinese brands in the home appliances, consumer electronics, personal computer, car and mobile phone markets, where products from more established brands in the US, Japan or Europe were preferred by mainland consumers for many years. But brands like Haier, Lenovo and, more recently, Huawei, have expanded their operations, increased research and development, and made advanced products to change that impression around the world.

The larger, deep-pocketed Chinese smartphone suppliers have won a big chunk of the domestic market through aggressive promotions, advanced designs and features, and offering a wide array of models in a range of prices to entice both younger and affluent buyers. China is now home to some of the most successful smartphone brands, including Vivo and Oppo, which rival the likes of Samsung, Apple and LG Electronics. Currently the third largest smartphone vendor worldwide behind Samsung and Apple, Huawei increased its global smartphone market share to 14.7 per cent last year, compared with Apple’s 14.9 per cent and Samsung at 20.9 per cent, according to a report by industry researcher IDC in January.

]]>China FinanceWed, 15 May 2019 09:20:55 +0000A security expert in China finds hidden camera in her Airbnbhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14349:a-security-expert-in-china-finds-hidden-camera-in-her-airbnb&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14349:a-security-expert-in-china-finds-hidden-camera-in-her-airbnb&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Finding a hidden camera in an Airbnb would be creepy for anyone. One woman in China experienced this firsthand after she checked into her room.

Unfortunately for the pervy host, his Airbnb guest turned out to be an internet and information security expert. The woman first noticed something unusual when she arrived at the man’s flat in Qingdao, Shandong province.

"I found a motion sensor monitor at the flat’s entrance and two in the two bedrooms, which is odd since the flat had not been renovated for smart-home automation,” she said. “I turned the sensors to face the wall and covered them with stickers."

She continued to check the smoke detectors and the television, which are usual hiding spots for hidden cameras. What really caught her attention, though, was the router, which was facing the bed and sporting an extra hole.

After unscrewing it, the woman found a digital memory card inside that had been used to record guests.

“I immediately called the police after finding the card,” she said. “They came and took away the equipment.”

The woman said she always checks her hotel rooms, and she is not the only one paranoid about her Airbnb stays.

In a survey of 2,000 Americans by financial services company IPX1031, 58 percent of respondents said they worry about hidden cameras.

The paranoia seems to pay off: 11% of respondents said they’ve actually found a hidden camera in an Airbnb room. Several stories about guests finding hidden cameras in their Airbnbs have come out in recent months, including in Miami and Cork.

In this latest case in China, Airbnb reacted by removing the peeping tom, who was labeled as a “Superhost” -- an experienced, highly-rated host held up as a shining example.

Police found the man had been filming guests since March. The guest was refunded her US$250. However, the host only got 20 days of detention and a 500rmb fine, according to local media.

It seems Airbnb flats aren’t the only place to worry about hidden cameras, though. One couple in China discovered a hidden camera in the electricity socket of their shared apartment room after living there for six months.

]]>China FinanceTue, 14 May 2019 06:30:46 +0000HOUSING CHINA promotes the Golden Valley to set sail again and deduce the whole life cycle servicehttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14348:housing-china-promotes-the-golden-valley-to-set-sail-again-and-deduce-the-whole-life-cycle-service&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14348:housing-china-promotes-the-golden-valley-to-set-sail-again-and-deduce-the-whole-life-cycle-service&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27Recently, entrusted by Tianjin Datong Group, HOUSING CHINA has become the principal rental agent of Golden Valley Center. At the same time, the property management services of the project are also provided by HOUSING CHINA. With years of experience in commercial real estate services and asset management, HOUSING CHINA will provide more excellent commercial real estate solutions to meet the different needs of real estate developers and customers.

HOUSING CHINA will make a comprehensive analysis of Tianjin office rental market, re-evaluate and position the project, formulate effective rental strategies, strengthen in-depth cooperation with the government, attract more high-quality customers, speed up investment, create a business climate, improve brand image, open up the whole life cycle service for the Golden Valley Center.

Project introduction

The Golden Valley Center is located in Liberation North Road, which road enjoys the reputation of "Oriental Wall Street"，The project occupies a central position that can not be reproduced，100 meters away from Jinwan Plaza Station of Metro Line 3, adjoining to Tianjin Station. It can reach Beijing South Station in 30 minutes by taking Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Train, Airport in 30 minutes by car and Binhai New District in 50 minutes. Jinwan Plaza is a commercial gathering with SPD Bank, EXIM Bank, China Film Cinema, Jinwan Grand Theater, Youth Restaurant, Crystal Orange , Fuyi Fashion Hotel, etc. The Golden Valley Center is equipped with 435 parking spaces underground and tenant can also shares the 3000 parking spaces under Jinwan Plaza.

]]>Tianjin FinanceTue, 14 May 2019 06:23:04 +0000Tianjin launched exports of secondhand car to boost saleshttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14347:tianjin-launched-exports-of-secondhand-car-to-boost-sales&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14347:tianjin-launched-exports-of-secondhand-car-to-boost-sales&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27China has officially launched exports of secondhand cars, with Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai among the first batch of 10 regions allowed to export the vehicles.

According to the China Automobile Dealers Association, about 13.82 million used cars were traded in China last year, less than half of the new vehicles sold.

Compared with developed countries where sales of second hand cars are usually twice the number of new car sales, China's used vehicles exports market has huge growth potential.

]]>Tianjin FinanceTue, 14 May 2019 06:07:23 +0000Districts can process foreign work visashttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14339:districts-can-process-foreign-work-visas&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14339:districts-can-process-foreign-work-visas&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2An expat is served at a foreigner exit-entry service center in Beijing

The Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau announced Thursday that up to 60 percent of the foreign talent can apply for and complete their work documents in nearby districts instead of the city-level administration.

Those districts are Chaoyang, Haidian and Shunyi, where most foreign talent is located in the capital, according to the authority.

As increasing numbers of foreign talent come to Beijing to live and work, the capital has carried out a series of measures to provide more convenience for their work permits and other related documents.

]]>China socialMon, 13 May 2019 09:47:32 +0000Amazon just launched a lending service in China while shuttering its local marketplacehttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14338:amazon-just-launched-a-lending-service-in-china-while-shuttering-its-local-marketplace&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14338:amazon-just-launched-a-lending-service-in-china-while-shuttering-its-local-marketplace&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Amazon may be closing its marketplace in China, but it's still aggressively pursuing growth in the country with a new lending service that could help bolster its sprawling seller community there.

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, speaks at the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s Forum on Leadership in Dallas

The program is called Lending Referral Program, according to a post in Amazon's sellers forum, which is only open to merchants doing business on the site. Screenshots of the post were viewed by CNBC. Amazon picks and connects prequalified sellers with a local lender in China, offering short-term loans to help the sellers purchase inventory and expand their business.

"The Lending Referral Program is a new program by Amazon Lending," the post said. "Under this program you may be extended offers to apply for loans provided by local Chinese lenders to grow your business on Amazon."

Amazon's new loan service is the company's latest initiative in China, after announcing the closure of its marketplace there last month. Instead of targeting Chinese consumers, the lending program is aimed at growing the number of China-based merchants who sell directly to Amazon consumers in the U.S. and the rest of the world, as Chinese sellers now account for a significant share of Amazon's global marketplace sales.

"If Amazon wants to build a bigger seller ecosystem in China — and grow its worldwide marketplace — providing working capital is a key factor," said Don Zhao, co-founder of Azoya, a company that helps e-commerce businesses in China.

]]>China FinanceMon, 13 May 2019 09:34:46 +0000BBQ Party on May 15 @ Beer Garden of ALL-Legend Int. Hotelhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14331:bbq-party-on-may-15-beer-garden-of-all-legend-int-hotel&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14331:bbq-party-on-may-15-beer-garden-of-all-legend-int-hotel&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2Come to join us to our Barbecue Party on May 15th, 2019, 6pm at ALL-Legend International Hotel "Beer Garden".

The Beer Garden has been open from May 4th this summer in Wuqing, everyday from 6pm to 10pm.

Sitting in the garden with lovely lights among the trees, enjoying the romantic and comfortable night meantime networking with other friends.

Variety of food and drinks will satisfy your appetite, plus we will have games, karaoke,...

Please notice that the discount card cannot use in hotel with other promotions.

It can only be used in the Provencal Cafe.

The hotel preserving the final explanation.

烧烤会员优惠卡

首次充值500元享受8.5折优惠，每人仅限一张。

有效期：

2019年5月4日至2019年9月30日

优惠卡活动不能同时享受酒店内其他活动，最终解释权归酒店所有;优惠卡只能在普罗旺斯餐厅烧烤使用。

主厨推荐 Chef's Recommendation

Crayfish 南方小龙虾

图片仅供参考

Roasted Lamb Chop 吊炉烤羊排

图片仅供参考

重庆麻辣冷串系列Chongqing spicy barbecue

图片仅供参考

特色锦州烧烤系列Jinzhou Barbecue

图片仅供参考

特色盐焗 / 锡纸系列

Salt backed Shrimp 盐焗大虾

Tin Foil Pork Heart 锡纸猪心

图片仅供参考

西式 BBQ系列

Roasted Banana 烤香蕉

Roasted Corn 烤玉米

German sausage 德式烤香肠

图片仅供参考

卡拉OK免费欢唱

精彩互动

喝啤酒比赛

吃辣比赛

飞镖比赛

备注：以上比赛获胜者均赠送6瓶啤酒

Winners of the games can get 6 bottles of beers for free.

晚霞里凉风中

拂去一日辛劳

坐拥绿树与清风环绕的啤酒花园

纵享美味诱人的精致餐点

嗨饮甘冽香醇的冰爽啤酒

欣赏悦耳和谐的美妙歌曲

参加妙趣横生的游玩竞技项目

如此才是惬意人生的味道

普罗旺斯夏季啤酒花园

愿这一刻与您共享酣畅人生

]]>Tianjin SocialFri, 10 May 2019 09:30:59 +0000Beijing's new airport to welcome test flights Next Mondayhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14330:beijings-new-airport-to-welcome-test-flights-next-monday&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14330:beijings-new-airport-to-welcome-test-flights-next-monday&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Beijing Daxing International Airport plans to welcome four planes on test flight next Monday.

Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines will dispatch flagship models 747-8, A359 and A380, respectively. Meanwhile, Xiamen Airlines will send a Boeing 787 to take part in the test flight.

This comes nearly three and a half months after the airport welcomed the first test plane on January 22.

According the plan, these airplanes should arrive at the airport before 10 am. After ground clearance, these planes will take off from runway 01L/19R, 17R/35L and 17L/35R. The whole process will take about one hour.

Currently, preparatory work for the Daxing airport is in full gear. The new airport's four runways and related taxiways passed acceptance inspection on April 28-30.

Daxing airport's flight inspection, which is a prerequisite for all new airports before-entering service, was completed on February 24, 19 days ahead of schedule.

The inspections, which lasted for 34 days, started on Jan 22 and were supposed to last until March 15 covering the airport's four runways, six landing systems, seven lighting facilities and other services.

Beijing Daxing International Airport, Beijing's second major civil airport, is scheduled to be completed on June 30 and open on September 30. It aims to meet the country's surging air service demand and relieve Beijing Capital International Airport from tight flight pressure.

The new airport, which is located at the junction of Beijing's Daxing district and Langfang, a city in neighboring Hebei province, is expected to handle 45 million passengers annually by 2021 and 72 million by 2025.

]]>China FinanceFri, 10 May 2019 09:20:45 +0000Oracle cutting 900 workers at Beijing http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14324:oracle-cutting-900-workers-at-beijing-&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14324:oracle-cutting-900-workers-at-beijing-&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65U.S. database and cloud computing company Oracle is planning to lay off more than 900 people from its China operations.

The dismissals will primarily come from Oracle’s local research and development base of 1,600 employees, the reports said. The Beijing location will terminate 500 staff, a move seen as a step toward shutting down the center completely.

Oracle did not deny or confirm the reports, but said in a statement that: “As our cloud business grows, we will continually balance our resources and restructure our development group to help ensure we deliver the best cloud services to our customers in China.”

It was not immediately clear why the company was making the cuts. Guangzhou-based 21st Century Business Herald cited Oracle’s Asia Pacific human resources head as saying the departures are the result of company-wide restructuring, which will be global. The news site added that workers in cloud computing were among the first batch of layoffs in China.

Beijing and Shanghai are the latest cities to remove the permits required for opening a corporate bank account in China, a move consistent with the government effort to reduce administrative red tape for small businesses.

Beginning this April 2019, companies in Beijing and Shanghai will no longer require a permit from the People’s Bank of China (PBC) for opening a basic and temporary corporate bank account in China.

The approval permit system has been replaced by a simpler record-filing system.

This came into effect in Beijing on April 28, 2019, with Shanghai implementing it from April 30.

Opening a corporate bank account in China

Under the new policy, enterprises that wish to open a corporate bank account only need to complete a simple account-opening audit.

After this audit, the bank settlement account is open and the account holder can handle the collection and payment of funds from this date forth.

The reform is expected to cut the average time needed to open an account from four days to just one to two days.

China continues to streamline administrative procedures

The State Council, at the end of last year, committed to the gradual removal of corporate bank account licenses across the country.

The policy initially began as a PBC pilot project tried in two cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang as early as last June. Following its success, in February 2019, the policy was expanded to apply across the whole of the two provinces.

Last year, China made dramatic improvements to its ease of doing business rankings, jumping from 78 to 46 in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Report.

This year, China remains determined to improve its global ranking, with the government continually introducing small and gradual measures to streamline administrative procedures for businesses.

While all businesses can certainly benefit from this latest reform, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are expected to benefit the most – as they are usually the most susceptible to the considerable time and labor costs expended in the initial phase of corporate establishment.

Coupled with reforms in simplifying corporate establishment procedures particularly in larger cities like Beijing, it is hoped that this latest measure of removing account-opening permits will make it easier for more SMEs to establish a presence in China.

Wellington College Tianjin’s Charity Summer Fair is one of the most popular annual international events in the city, in addition to being the school’s largest family event for both the local and international communities.

Held on Saturday 18th May, the Charity Summer Fair will support the school’s nominated local charity: Ru Hui Rehabilitation Centre – helping autistic children and their families here in Tianjin.

Coordinated and overseen by the school management and teachers, the event is organised and attended by local and international families in Tianjin, and supported by a wide range of businesses and enterprises operating in the NE China area.

The Summer Fair is the highlight of the Summer Term at the school, and great efforts are made to ensure that all attendees and vendors have fun in a safe and friendly environment. Offering a wide range of games and activities for all ages, as well as international food and drink, a variety of on-stage performances, a Grand Prize Draw and so much more, the 2018 event attracted over 2,500 visitors from across Tianjin, Beijing and NE China.

SUMMER FAIR

18 May 2019

This is a community event, open to the whole of the Wellington and wider Tianjin community.

Entrance Ticket Price: RMB30 per person

Raffles Tickets Price: RMB25 per ticket

The entrance tickets and raffle tickets are available NOW at the College Reception 8:00hrs-17:00hrs and the Junior Dining Hall (Bus Hall) 15:30hrs-17:00hrs.

]]>Tianjin SocialWed, 08 May 2019 08:37:33 +0000Chinese Tech Companies Get a New Exchange in Shanghaihttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14321:chinese-tech-companies-get-a-new-exchange-in-shanghai&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14321:chinese-tech-companies-get-a-new-exchange-in-shanghai&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65While China has some of the world’s biggest technology companies, many are listed in the U.S. and Hong Kong. First, there was a push to lure companies back with so-called Chinese depositary receipts, which would allow domestic investors to hold overseas-listed Chinese shares. The new bourse will relax rules on listing and trading, moves that Chinese leaders hope can one day be extended to other exchanges.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange rolled out rules for the technology trading venue in March. Investors will need half a million yuan ($66,000) and two years of trading experience to participate. To balance the benefits of a less rigorous IPO system with the desire to rein in financial fraud, regulators have asked sponsoring brokerages to invest in the companies and lock-in their capital for a fixed period of time. Exchange officials say they will limit the review period for IPO applications to three months. While unprofitable firms are allowed to list, they must meet minimum requirements for market value, revenue, R&D or cash flow.

]]>China FinanceWed, 08 May 2019 08:31:34 +0000Huawei Shrugs Off U.S. clampdown with a $100 Billion Yearhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14320:huawei-shrugs-off-us-clampdown-with-a-100-billion-year&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14320:huawei-shrugs-off-us-clampdown-with-a-100-billion-year&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Huawei announced sizable earnings as the United States government cracks down on the company.

These are not carefree days for Huawei, the Chinese tech behemoth. The United States is trying to persuade the world not to use the company’s equipment in cellular networks. The Justice Department has charged the firm and its chief financial officer with bank fraud and theft of trade secrets. Yet Huawei’s business is soaring. And the company’s leaders sound confident that Washington can do little to stop it from flying higher. Huawei earned more than $105 billion in revenue last year, up nearly a fifth from 2017, Guo Ping, the company’s deputy chairman, said on Friday. Profit grew by a quarter, to more than $8 billion. Though Huawei has not sold shares to the public, it publishes audited yearly financial results as a gesture toward openness. Speaking at the company’s headquarters in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, Mr. Guo said that “we will do everything we can to shake off outside distractions, improve management and make progress toward our strategic goals.”

In telecommunications equipment, smartphones and more, Huawei has become a globe-straddling colossus despite years of accusations by the United States that the company acts and spies on behalf of the Chinese government. Huawei today is in the same league, in terms of yearly revenue, as Microsoft and Google. By that metric, it is almost as big as three of China’s most influential internet companies - Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu - combined. For much of the past year, though, Huawei has battled a torrent of legal and regulatory troubles. In December, the company’s finance chief, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Canada after the United States accused her of defrauding Huawei’s banks and causing them to violate sanctions against Iran. Ms. Meng - who is the daughter of Huawei’s founder and chief executive, Ren Zhengfei - remains in Canada while legal authorities decide whether she will be extradited.

The other big unknown on Huawei’s horizon is whether Washington will take further measures to undermine the company. The Justice Department has already filed criminal charges against Huawei and Ms. Meng. But other federal agencies could do more, such as cut the company off from American parts and technology. The American chip companies Broadcom and Xilinx, both of which count Huawei as a customer, have recently told investors that they are monitoring the situation closely. The immense power that Washington wields over Chinese tech companies was on vivid display last year when the Commerce Department nearly drove a smaller telecom equipment maker, ZTE, out of business by denying it access to American components. Commerce officials determined that the company had illegally exported American-sourced technology to Iran. An American company, Micron Technology, has accused Jinhua of stealing chip designs. Kevin J. Wolf, a partner at the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, was an assistant secretary of commerce during the Obama administration. He oversaw the first phase of the Commerce Department’s case against ZTE. It is extremely difficult, he said, to predict what more might be done to Huawei. The law gives officials wide berth to decide how to protect national security. “The standard is so broad,” Mr. Wolf said. “It’s up to whoever’s in charge to determine what a national security concern is.”

]]>China FinanceWed, 08 May 2019 08:25:03 +0000New device to record illegal parking, Soon in Tianjinhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14312:new-device-to-record-illegal-parking-soon-in-tianjin&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14312:new-device-to-record-illegal-parking-soon-in-tianjin&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2Traffic police in Beijing are using a new device to record illegal parking without having to leave their vehicles.

A wide-angle probe camera is attached to a smartphone on the front windshield inside police cars. The camera scans an illegally-parked car's license plate and the information will be sent to the police database by the smartphone in several seconds.

By using the new system, the police can perform their duties with more efficiency. Previously, the job required two policemen, one to drive and one to take pictures of the illegally parked cars.

]]>China socialTue, 07 May 2019 04:49:51 +0000Huawei’s position as 5G chip maker strengthened after Apple settles dispute with Qualcommhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14310:huaweis-position-as-5g-chip-maker-strengthened-after-apple-settles-dispute-with-qualcomm&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14310:huaweis-position-as-5g-chip-maker-strengthened-after-apple-settles-dispute-with-qualcomm&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65The truce between iPhone maker Apple and semiconductor giant Qualcomm has redrawn the battle lines in the 5G chip market just as smartphone makers and carriers begin to move forward with trial deployments of the ultra-fast networks. The two US technology giants last week settled an acrimonious two-year fight, which had threatened the sale of iPhones in several countries including China, with Apple signing a six-year licensing deal with Qualcomm under which it will use Qualcomm chips for its iPhones. Within a few hours, Intel, which has supplied modem chips for iPhones since 2017 and was developing 5G devices for Apple, said it was withdrawing from the market for 5G chips for smartphones, but will continue 5G investment in other product areas. That put Shenzhen-based Huawei Technologies in the spotlight as a major player up against Qualcomm in the 5G modem chip market even though the Chinese company currently only uses the devices in its own phones.

Huawei’s 5G chip, the Balong 5000, is at least six months ahead of Qualcomm’s similar offering, according to Jean Baptiste Su, principal analyst with Atherton Research. Qualcomm’s X55 chip, unveiled at MWC 2019 earlier this year, will not appear in 5G smartphones until the end of this year or in early 2020. The Balong 5000 will start shipping in June, first with the Huawei Mate X phone and the Mate 20 X 5G in July, he added. Taiwan-based MediaTek, which competes in the lower end of the market, is not a direct competitor with Qualcomm at the high end, while China’s Unisoc, a subsidiary of state-linked semiconductor maker Tsinghua Unigroup, has just lost Intel as a technology partner. In February, Intel ended an agreement to share 5G modem technology with Unisoc amid heightened trade and technology rivalry between the world’s two biggest economies.

Qualcomm, a dominant player in communications chips, provides half of all core baseband radio chips used in smartphones worldwide. Apple and Qualcomm have for years been locked in legal fights, suing each other in jurisdictions around the globe for alleged monopolistic practices, patent infringement, and even intellectual property theft. Qualcomm won an injunction against Apple in Germany in December, which resulted in a sales ban of some older iPhones in the country. Apple was later able to start selling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 in Germany again after swapping out Intel modems for Qualcomm’s equipment. Apple likely paid somewhere around US$5 billion to US$6 billion to settle its ongoing legal battle with Qualcomm, according to estimates by UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri, CNBC reported. Mike Feibus, president and principal analyst from Feibus Tech, said Apple did not have a choice. “I’m quite sure that if Apple felt it had another alternative, things would be different now. Intel was clearly ready to give up on 5G chipsets for smartphones, and agreed, for the benefit of Apple, to wait to announce until Apple settled with Qualcomm,” he said. “Given all the bad blood between them, Apple explored all the alternatives and concluded it had no other choice but to go with Qualcomm. Which means that it did not see any other viable suppliers.” After Intel’s retreat on 5G modems, Apple has to rely on Qualcomm as its sole 5G modem supplier.

]]>China FinanceTue, 07 May 2019 03:28:14 +0000Amazon admits defeat against Chinese e-commerce rivals like Alibaba and JD.comhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14308:amazon-admits-defeat-against-chinese-e-commerce-rivals-like-alibaba-and-jdcom&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14308:amazon-admits-defeat-against-chinese-e-commerce-rivals-like-alibaba-and-jdcom&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Amazon is shutting down its Chinese domestic e-commerce business, it told sellers on Thursday. By July 18th, Amazon.cn will no longer be open to third-party sellers, meaning it won’t compete with the massive e-commerce giants of China, including Alibaba and JD.com. Amazon still plans to let Chinese customers shop at international versions of the site, including the company’s American, British, German, and Japanese marketplaces. Amazon says it’s reevaluating its fulfillment strategy in the country to meet those needs.

Outside e-commerce, other tech companies have gone head-to-head with domestic rivals, all with a similar conclusion: Google versus Baidu; Facebook versus WeChat; Apple versus Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi; and Uber versus Didi Chuxing, which is a rivalry that resulted in Uber selling its China business to its primary domestic competitor and effectively admitting defeat.

]]>China FinanceMon, 06 May 2019 10:03:44 +0000Tesla to investigate Car that burst into flamesTesla to investigate Car that appeared to burst into flames http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14307:tesla-to-investigate-car-that-burst-into-flamestesla-to-investigate-car-that-appeared-to-burst-into-flames-&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14307:tesla-to-investigate-car-that-burst-into-flamestesla-to-investigate-car-that-appeared-to-burst-into-flames-&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65The electric-car maker Tesla said on Monday that it had sent a team to investigate why one of its cars appeared to spontaneously combust in Shanghai over the weekend, an incident that the authorities said had left no one hurt but that has raised fresh questions about the safety of the company’s cars. The explosion occurred Sunday evening in the basement parking garage of an apartment complex in Shanghai’s Xuhui District, according to a post by the local fire department on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Security camera footage accompanying the post showed smoke creeping from beneath a parked Tesla sedan for a few seconds before the car bursts into flames. Two other cars were also damaged, the fire department said. “Last night we dispatched a team at once to the scene,” Tesla said in a Monday morning post on its Weibo account. The fire department said the cause of the explosion was still being investigated.

This is not the first fire in a Tesla, which uses lithium-ion batteries that can combust if they are damaged or subjected to high temperatures in what is known as “thermal runaway.” Just last week, a parked Tesla caught fire at a service center near Pittsburgh. The same car had previously caught fire in February, according to a local news report. Officials have not established the cause of that fire. To avoid catastrophic battery fires on planes, the Federal Aviation Administration has prohibited the transportation of spare lithium batteries in checked baggage.

China is a surging market for electric vehicles, and Tesla has many fans here. In January, the company started construction on a huge new factory near Shanghai, its first plant outside the United States. The trade war between the United States and China has directly affected Tesla’s business. After President Trump issued his first tariffs last year on $50 billion in Chinese-made goods, Beijing retaliated by increasing tariffs on American-made cars to 40 percent. Cars made everywhere else face a 15 percent import tax in China. China temporarily removed the additional tariff on American-made cars as part of a truce in the trade war that the two nations negotiated in December. The Chinese government has since kept the tax at the lower rate as a gesture of good will amid current talks.

In January Tesla started construction on a huge new factory near Shanghai, its first plant outside the United States.

]]>China FinanceMon, 06 May 2019 09:49:33 +0000Welcome to BIBA Open Day on May 11http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14306:welcome-to-biba-open-day-on-may-11&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14306:welcome-to-biba-open-day-on-may-11&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27Each and every day at BIBA our community is blessed with the love and happiness that intertwines throughout our entire school. With the focus of bilingual and international education, we firmly believe that love and happiness is a strong component of continuous development throughout the entire school. This incentive further helps each individual within the BIBA community, to continue to grow to their full potential!

BIBA OPEN DAY

May 11 (Saturday) 9:30-11:30

Tel: 022-6713 9298 / 185 2609 1709

Scan this QR code to register

The Ideal International Education

With the infiltration of Chinese culture, and the essence of integration of Western education, Beijing International Bilingual Academy unites the two cultures as one, colliding as the ultimate unique education with the continuous activism of "love and happiness" being the primary center of our school, and so does Tianjin-campus.

Diversified Campus Life

As a multi-faceted international school, the differences in culture, language and nationalities are constantly represented throughout our BIBA Campus, highlighted throughout various whole school activities such as BIBA House, Family Fair, International Day and Chinese New Year! We not only experience the wonderful campus life but we also feel the cultural atmosphere constantly displayed around our entire campus!

Elements of BIBA

With the 4Rs and 10 As, as a cornerstone, the whole school acknowledges and applies these tenents in every element of BIBA life. The implementation of these elements seeks to advocate the pursuits of academic achievement, service awareness, warmth, love and relentless devotion of doing good for yourself and one another, bringing everyone together as the unique international bilingual academy, BIBA!

]]>Tianjin FinanceMon, 06 May 2019 09:23:58 +0000Business Tianjin OUT! May 2019 Editionhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14305:business-tianjin-out-may-2019-edition&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14305:business-tianjin-out-may-2019-edition&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27Gaining a strong reputation as the fastest-growing IB World School, which is offering unique international and bilingual education for foreign and Chinese students, the Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA) has opened three campuses since its establishment in 2006.

Tianjin Campus is the second campus of BIBA and it is a vibrant international boarding school, which prides on forming students to become internationally-minded bilingual ambassadors and champions of inter-cultural understanding, respect and integration in a dynamic global community. We have the opportunity to interview Joseph J. Azmeh, Executive Head of School, Tianjin Campus of BIBA and feature in our cover story. It was a real pleasure talking to Joseph and learning the noble spirit behind BIBA and his passion as an educator.

We laud BIBA and Tianjin Campus’ excellent facilities, fantastic team of foreign and local teachers & administrative staff and this great opportunity to enrol our kids in this unique international and bilingual learning environment.

From the macro economy point of view, China has witnessed a rebound, as indicated by the recently released numbers. Retail sales, industrial production, fixed asset investments, and trade balance saw positive developments. Some economists believe that the government’s efforts to stimulate the economy are showing some effects. The progress made in the trade talks with United States has contributed to the improvement.

Michael Hart, who has spent more than 20 years in China in the commercial real estate industry and over a decade of that time in Tianjin, provides us with an excellent explanation how to benchmark our Real Estate Cost. Don’t miss it!

Our column Last Word is dedicated to the Great Wall Marathon that has the reputation for being one of the world’s toughest marathon courses for competitors to compete on. It will take place on 18th of May, 2019. You can read the details inside of this issue.

Visit our website www.businesstianjin.com and follow us on our official Wechat account (ID: business_tianjin) for a complete list of articles and information.

]]>Tianjin FinanceThu, 02 May 2019 07:46:35 +00002019 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup - China League, Tianjin Ends Successfullyhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14304:2019-longines-fei-jumping-world-cup-china-league-tianjin-ends-successfully&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14304:2019-longines-fei-jumping-world-cup-china-league-tianjin-ends-successfully&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=22019 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup - China League, Tianjin was successfully held at the Tianjin Metropolitan Polo Club from April 28th to May 1st. The FEI World Cup Jumping gathered international polo players who put on a world class polo match. After four days' competitions, Lixin Lin from Hong Kong winning the gold medal of LONGINES FEI World Cup Competition. Team Beijing winning the gold medal of Team Jumping Competition. Female polo player Yan Su winning the gold medal of Jumping Competition in Two Phases.

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup - China League, is an annual equestrian event in China, selected Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club as the designated venue for its International standard competition fields, excellent hospitality, highly experience and talented team. The club sits on an area of 890,000 square meters, and selects the best international jumping course designers to design the equestrian hurdles so that domestic and foreign first-class riders and horses can gallop on the field and makes this a spectacular equestrian event to all spectators.

We read of stories about valiant war survivors in novels, and a vivid image is painted in our minds based on those narratives. But, it’s always hard to personalize with them, to get into their shoes. It’s a whole other realm. Meeting an individual with such a laudable story line is not an ordinary occurrence. Tianjin Plus has been quick to grab an opportunity to inspire our faithful readers with narratives that are anything, but prosaic.

We met with Gary Nash on his most recent visit to Tianjin from Australia and we feature our conversation with him in this issue. Coming from a Russian ancestral line, Igor Ivashkoff (Gary Nash) was born on 13th of June, 1932, in Tientsin (Tianjin) after his matriarchal family migrated to China following the Russian Revolution in November, 1922. They established their roots in Tianjin and were hoping to make it their home. However, they were hit by a second debacle when the Maoist revolutionary forces advanced on the city from the north and the emigrants were forced to leave.

Airline alliances allow each traveller to access cheaper flights, get better deals and travel even to far-flung destinations using streamlined connected flights at any given moment. In this issue, we feature the three largest airline alliances. Combined, they offer almost 50% of all air tickets available per year. With their scope and membership, you get to understand their significance in making flights available across the planet.

I am sure you will also find very interesting all the other articles published this month.

Don't forget to visit our website www.tianjinplus.com and follow us on our official WeChat account (ID: tianjin_plus) for more articles and information.

56 Fitness & Gym: Should You Do Cardio Before or After Weight Training

58 Future: Flying Cars

60 Entertainment

62 Interior Design: Top Summer Floral Decoration Ideas

66 Tianjin Listing Index

77 TEDA Listing Index

80 China Travel: Kaiping Fortress Castles

83 Global Travel: Rapa Nui - The Hidden Gem of Attractions

]]>Tianjin FinanceThu, 02 May 2019 06:35:56 +0000Forget U.S. Stocks; Start Adding Chinese Companies to Your Portfoliohttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14301:forget-us-stocks-start-adding-chinese-companies-to-your-portfolio&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14301:forget-us-stocks-start-adding-chinese-companies-to-your-portfolio&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Chinese equities are storming ahead, demonstrating handsome and lucrative returns for investors this year. In the first quarter of 2019, domestic Chinese stocks have outpaced every other national market in the world. The CSI 300 Index saw a rally of some 30%, which was its best since the end of 2014.

China has been laying out plans and taking action to push the country back into solid form. The government is prepared to boost spending, increase foreign firms’ access to its markets, and cut billions of dollars in taxes. Over the last month, there appears to be a notable acknowledgement of a rebound in China’s economy. The manufacturing sector returned to growth, after slipping into contraction territory, according to official PMI reports.

BlackRock recently wrote the following in its Q2 2019 Global Investment Outlook: “China is set to be a key turnaround story this year, we are increasingly confident that Chinese growth is likely to reaccelerate from the second quarter onward.”

]]>China FinanceTue, 30 Apr 2019 10:00:20 +00002019 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup - China League, Tianjinhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14300:2019-longines-fei-jumping-world-cup-china-league-tianjin&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14300:2019-longines-fei-jumping-world-cup-china-league-tianjin&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=22019 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup - China League, Tianjin was held at Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club on 28th April 2019. FEI World Cup Jumping is held by the Fédération Equestrian International (FEI) and organized by the regional equestrian association. The event was established in 1978. It has been 39 years since the first World Cup. It has become the most influential international top equestrian event.

Longines FEI Jumping World Cup - China League, is an annual equestrian event in China, selected Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club as the designated venue for its International standard competition fields, excellent hospitality, highly experience and talented team. The club sits on an area of 890,000 square meters, and selects the best international jumping course designers to design the equestrian hurdles so that domestic and foreign first-class riders and horses can gallop on the field and makes this a spectacular equestrian event to all spectators.

Tesla Inc filed a lawsuit on March 21 against a former engineer at the company, claiming he copied the source code for its Autopilot technology before joining a Chinese self-driving car startup in January. The engineer, Guangzhi Cao, copied more than 300,000 files related to Autopilot source code as he prepared to join China’s Xiaopeng Motors Technology Company Ltd, the Silicon Valley carmaker said in the lawsuit filed in a California court. Separately, Tesla lawyers on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against four former employees and U.S. self-driving car startup Zoox Inc, alleging the employees stole proprietary information and trade secrets for developing warehousing, logistics and inventory control operations. Cao, Xiaopeng and Zoox could not be immediately reached for comment.

Tesla is building a vehicle assembly facility in Shanghai, putting it in direct competition with Xiaopeng and other Chinese companies in the world’s largest electric vehicle market. Its Autopilot is a driver assistance system that handles some driving tasks and allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel, although the company stresses it still requires driver supervision and does not make the vehicle autonomous. Cao’s LinkedIn profile shows he has been working with Xiaopeng since January as “head of perception.” Xiaopeng, which debuted an electric car in Las Vegas last year, counts Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Foxconn Technology Co Ltd among its investors.

The company, also known as Xpeng Motors, employs at least five former Tesla employees, the U.S. carmaker alleged in the lawsuit. Apple Inc last year accused one former employee of stealing trade secrets related to self-driving cars and joining Xiaopeng’s U.S. subsidiary. Several companies are racing to develop the technology required to make cars drive on their own and lawsuits against former employees have become common as firms strive to keep proprietary information in-house. Alphabet Inc’s Waymo self-driving vehicle unit took Uber Technologies to court after a former employee stole thousands of confidential documents and became chief of Uber’s self-driving car project. Uber later paid $245 million to settle the case.

]]>China FinanceTue, 30 Apr 2019 07:04:01 +0000South Korea's Hyundai likely to shut Beijing planthttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14298:south-koreas-hyundai-likely-to-shut-beijing-plant&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14298:south-koreas-hyundai-likely-to-shut-beijing-plant&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65South Korea's Hyundai brand is facing a supply glut in China and plans to shut down one of its Beijing plants in May, Hyundai dealership owners and employees said on Wednesday.

The company is halting production at its oldest joint venture (JV) plant in China, the world's largest auto market.

The South Korean carmaker beat estimates by posting an operating profit of $718 million in the first quarter due to the performance of its new sport utility vehicles and spending cuts in the US, on Wednesday.

However, Beijing Hyundai's first-quarter auto sales fell by 18% to the lowest level since 2009.

An employee at Beijing Hyundai Motor Co, who declined to be identified, confirmed the impending shutdown in media reports. "When the land lease ends in May, the plant will be shut down," the employee said.

The plant had an original work force of 10,000, but there were job cuts and the remaining workers were transferred to other plants, the source said.

The South Korean brand has five plants in the form of JVs with its Chinese partner BAIC Motor Corp. This includes three plants in Beijing, one in North China's Hebei Province and one in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The plant planned to be closed is named No.1 plant.

"The reported closure could be part of Hyundai's move to address the production overcapacity issue," said Wang Rongzhen, owner of a dealership for Hyundai imported cars in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu Province.

"Hyundai sales almost halved in China in 2018. The brand now faces a supply glut," Wang told the Global Times on Wednesday.

In 2018, the Chinese auto market contracted for the first time in more than two decades, with annual sales down by 2.8 percent year-on-year to 28.1 million units, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said in January.

"Efficiency at the No. 1 plant is low. After efficiency improved after downsizing efforts, the company is in good shape," the employee at Beijing Hyundai Motor said. "We just received a quarterly bonus. We hadn't had that for a very long time."

]]>China FinanceTue, 30 Apr 2019 04:24:39 +0000Expat jobs in some sectors increasinghttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14297:expat-jobs-in-some-sectors-increasing&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14297:expat-jobs-in-some-sectors-increasing&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65The service, IT and media industries have overtaken the education industry as major job sources for expats in China, according to figures from the 2019 Job Fair for Foreigners in Beijing.

The job fair, organised on Sunday (April 21) by the Foreign Talent Research Centre and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, has nearly 1,000 jobs available in a range of professions, and attracted more than 500 expats.

The expat job market - once dominated by language teachers - has seen a major shift.

Approximately half the jobs available at the fair were in the sales, media, marketing and IT sectors, including openings for journalists, brand and communication managers and software engineers.

Last year marked the first time China's giant IT and Internet sector - led by Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. - has cut back on job ads since 2015, the study showed.

The income gap between expats and Chinese employees in the same positions has been reduced in past decades. In the 2000s, the annual salary of a foreign employee would be five to 10 times higher than that of a Chinese employee, but the gap is narrower now at about two to three times, partly because salaries paid to Chinese have risen faster than expat salaries.

Statistics from the State administration showed that China has attracted expats from Asian and European countries because of its rapid economic growth and a widening range of opportunities.

Data collected from the previous 10 years at the Beijing job fair showed that more than 50 per cent of job seekers are from European countries, with a majority from Spain and Portugal, while about 25 per cent are from Asian countries, with a majority from India.

Last year, China issued about 336,000 work permits to foreigners. China had a total of more than 950,000 expats working in the country as at the end of last year, according to the administration. By comparison, there were only 180,000 foreign workers employed in China in 1996.

Following changes to visa rules, foreigners of Chinese origin will be able to apply for visas valid for multiple entries over a period of five years, up from one year previously.

]]>China FinanceFri, 26 Apr 2019 07:57:30 +0000Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin best rated by traveler reviewshttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14296:shangri-la-hotel-tianjin-best-rated-by-traveler-reviews&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14296:shangri-la-hotel-tianjin-best-rated-by-traveler-reviews&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin becomes the best rated hotel in the city according to reviews by travelers on Tripadvisor during April 2019.Within Tianjin there is enormous competition among the international branded five star hotels and it would seem that the Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin is in fact several steps ahead of its competitors due to the great product on offer in addition to the professionalism of its management and staff.

Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts is based in Hong Kong and its current assets include the ownership and management of 100 hotels under the brands Shangri-la Hotel, Shangri-la Resort, Traders Hotel, Kerry Hotel and Hotel Jen. These brands collectively account for over 40,000 rooms available around the world.

We have recently had the opportunity to experience several fantastic events hosted at the Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin and we were pleasantly surprised by the superb organization and level of exceptional service on offer. This level of service was clearly evident at the luncheon held on the 8th of March to celebrate Women’s Day.

Another occasion was the presentation of the Confucian Culture and Cuisine Festival which highlighted ancient ritual performances from Qufu the hometown of Confucius in Shandong Province. The festival was also commemorated with the use of the regional cuisine of Qufu.

The prestigious travel websites ctrip.com and trip.com have given the Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin their highest recommendation. Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin is the most recommended hotel in the city during April, 2019. This recommendation promises a bright future for the business aspects of the hotel as the websites are among the most used for hotel bookings by Chinese travelers.

The effort of the management and team over the past few months has clearly paid off. The website booking.com has also given the Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin its highest recommendation. On that website the Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin is now graded as the best hotel in the city through its review score and price. All this adds up to making your stay in the city a more pleasant one.

A popular booking platform for Asian travelers is agoda.com and they were contacted to give a recommendation for the Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin. Their findings revealed the hotel as being the number 1 hotel for families traveling with children as well as for individual business travelers.

We would like to wholeheartedly congratulate the management and their staff of the Shangri-la Hotel, Tianjin for the great level of service and professionalism shown in providing visitors to Tianjin an extraordinary experience. This high level of products enables Tianjin to be a world-class city while contributing to make Tianjin a unique and must see destination in China.

]]>Tianjin FinanceFri, 26 Apr 2019 07:00:07 +0000Foreigners' credit info will be recorded http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14295:foreigners-credit-info-will-be-recorded-&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14295:foreigners-credit-info-will-be-recorded-&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Foreign borrowers' financial information will be recorded in China's national credit system, and the central bank is studying the feasibility of a cross-border information sharing mechanism to improve services for foreigners and prevent credit risks.

Foreigners wishing to borrow money from financial institutions on the Chinese mainland should register their nationality on personal credit reports, a new requirement of the People's Bank of China, the central bank, in order to better monitor domestic credit market information.

The central bank will notify foreigners before collecting the additional information, she said. Chinese financial institutions need to know about foreign borrowers' previous credit records, including such activities in other countries, and to rate their credit history before issuing loans.

Analysts said the issue is related to cross-border information transferring and sharing. Authorities in different countries are always wary of protecting their citizens' information security.

Li Bin, deputy head of the bureau, said on Monday that the central bank is in touch with financial officials in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to accelerate cooperation on credit information management with Hong Kong and Macao regulators.

An extension of the Bay Area credit regulatory framework is being considered that would cover corporate and individual credit information. "On the following steps, we will ask for financial institution opinions and the building of connections among credit information service institutions in the area," Li told China Daily.

The PBOC released a statement on its website on Monday indicating that more credit information will be included into the system in order to accurately assess credit risks and minimize defaults. The information will cover payment history of utility bills, loans jointly borrowed by more than one person, and guarantee arrangements between individuals and corporations.

Efforts to expand data collection to utility bill payment histories will also help improve the comprehensiveness of data.

The national credit information database was launched in 2006, and is managed by the PBOC. It now covers information of 259.18 million enterprises and 990 million individuals, according to the central bank.

To establish a credit system covering all of society, the central bank has issued a license to Baihang Credit, China's only licensed market-based personal credit agency.

Baihang will focus on rating consumer credit information recorded by non-bank finance providers, such as online peer-to-peer lending platforms.

]]>China FinanceFri, 26 Apr 2019 06:46:03 +0000Tianjin's First Giant swing is coming!http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14294:tianjins-first-giant-swing-is-coming&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14294:tianjins-first-giant-swing-is-coming&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2Tianjin will open a giant swing over a whopping 600-metre drop. Located at the Jiushanding Natural Scenic Resort in Ji County, it's the first extreme swing in Tianjin, which also has a 1000 metres above the ground transparent walkway.

The extra-ordinary swing will opened to the public around May 1st and the transparent walkway has already opened.

Address: Changzhou Village, Xiaying Zhen, Ji County, Tianjin

地址：天津市蓟州区下营镇常州村

]]>Tianjin SocialThu, 25 Apr 2019 06:38:59 +0000HOUSING CHINA and Poly Development Partner to Develop Metropolitan Center projecthttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14293:housing-china-and-poly-development-partner-to-develop-metropolitan-center-project&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14293:housing-china-and-poly-development-partner-to-develop-metropolitan-center-project&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27Poly Development and HOUSING CHINA (The largest real estate integrated operating service provider in Japan) have officially opened cooperation on Metropolitan Center project, and the two sides are expected to achieve comprehensive cooperation in the service field of the whole real estate industry chain on a larger scale in the future.

The Metropolitan Center is situated on the core resources of Heping CBD, enjoying a full view of the Haihe River landscape, mature supporting facilities. The surrounding traffic is abundant, with 45 bus lines and 3 urban metro lines surrounded; close to the transportation hub-Tianjin Train Station. The gross floor area of the project is 370,000 square meters. Including two 200-meter landmark office buildings, one Poly Plaza shopping Mall, and two buildings of Yujingge apartments. The Metropolitan Center is the unique twin-tower office complex project in Tianjin.

With the help of HOUSING CHINA's global vision, powerful resource platform and rich commercial practical experience. Poly hopes to subvert the traditional way of thinking and create a distinctive and ingenious Heping twin Metropolitan Center.

HOUSING CHINA provide office development consulting services, professional office relocation services, flexible office solutions and one-stop office services for enterprise customers. A will accompany the whole life cycle of the enterprise and help accelerate the growth of the enterprise.

HOUSING CHINA provide market research, project consultant, marketing promotion, on-site leasing agent for the owners in the early stage; mid-term project operation, property management; large-scale transactions and asset management of the latter period. Depend on all of above full life cycle services, HOUSING CHINA help the owners to realize the value-preservation and value-added of the project.

BIBA-Tianjin is excited to be hosting its first annual Family Fair on Friday, May 3 from 9:30 to 13:00. As expected, the event will include games, prizes, performances, food and fun. Some have asked, Why call it Family Fair? Why not School Fair? Or Fun Fair? Or Games Day?The reason is to highlight BIBA’s commitment to build, develop and nurture a real family, a real community within the school.

What are some of the features of this BIBA family? For one, BIBA-Tianjin seeks to put the best interests of our children first in all decisions just as we do within our own familes. What decisions must we make to keep our children safe? to keep them healthy? to keep them happy? to increase their future opportunities? to help them grow as compassionate and principled individuals?

Next, the BIBA family strives to build positive relationships across the school. This means that children of all ages recognize their connection as BIBA family members and show kindness and support to one another. This means that school parents know one another, support one another, and engage with one another. This means that from the school’s top leaders to its teachers to its office staff members to its cleaning and security personnel, all BIBA family members recognize and appreciate the bonds that connect them as family and community members and respect each other’s efforts and contributions.

On Friday, May 3 BIBA will come together to celebrate the small but growing Tianjin campus family. We will celebrate with games and activities and performances and food. But most importantly, we will celebrate by coming together as a community, sharing time together, and celebrating what it means to be part of a family that is fully committed to its children and to their development; fully committed to positive learning; to happiness, hope and optimism; and to a bright and peaceful future. We look forward to having each of you be a part of that celebration.

A total of 151 projects with an investment of 69 billion yuan were inked at the trade fair in Tianjin.

China Tianjin International Fair for Investment and Trade opened in Tianjin on April 18th, focusing on opening-up, cooperation and high-quality development.

Company executives and officials from 36 countries and regions are scheduled attended this year's trade fair, with 2,868 booths in an area covering 60,000 square meters, among which 468 booths are set to draw international talents for the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regions.

Located in the Meijiang Fuli Jinmenhu , a new club will open in June this year which with swimming pool, coffee shop and healthy meal. At the same time, it allows its business executives from top companies to concentrate on their customized workouts in an energizing yet calm environment.

Here we spoke to Chen Wei, a coach of I FITNESS, who shared with us many advantages of their fitness facility.

环保木材质瑜伽教室

宛若与大自然融为一体

"Our studio attracts clients who are directors, managers, and high-ranking professionals because of our small class size and specialized coaching. Only 7-8 clients use the gym at the same time, and they are guided by our four professional coaches”.

室内恒温泳池，实时监测水质

全天候无害消毒

Once you register as a member, your fitness level is evaluated in developing an action plan. You can discuss with your coach the areas where you want to focus on. They also take note, especially where your muscles are mostly tense. “Many of our clients are stressed from work and all the pressure, so their muscles are also very tensed. So, what they will do first is do some activities to help their muscles relax.” No matter what your sports preference or activity level is, you are sure to be motivated by the various classes made available per day.

全进口品牌器械 更加高效与专业

Those who are starting will get to take on 1-2 classes per week; then the frequency increases to 3-4 times a week once they get used to it. “The more classes you take per week, the faster it is for you to achieve your results.” I FITNESS coach Chen Wei shares that the success of their clients definitely show because they get to be approached by their colleagues and ask what was done to improve their fitness.

As fitness also becomes a social activity, I FITNESS has a badminton court with eight professional mega-venues for those who want to do group exercises all at the same time.

景观咖啡室配有营养简餐

The best advantage of enrolling in I Fitness is getting your results and competing against yourself. “Many people want to have abs. So, they copy or imitate how people exercise in videos. But the result is totally different for everyone. In I FITNESS, your coach will guide you and give you exact instructions that fit your body type. With a coach, your results can be reached in three months. But to build abs alone, maybe it would take two years because you might injure yourself when you are not doing things right”.

In today’s quest for optimum health, I FITNESS is becoming one of Tianjin’s ultimate venue for those who are serious about wellness or wants a more serene way to sweat.

]]>Tianjin SocialTue, 23 Apr 2019 09:44:22 +0000First Anniversary @ Hard Rock Cafe Tianjinhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14289:first-anniversary--hard-rock-cafe-tianjin&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14289:first-anniversary--hard-rock-cafe-tianjin&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2On April 20th, Hard Rock Cafe Tianjin held a splendid First anniversary celebration party. Guests gathered together to witness the first year development of Hard Rock Cafe Tianjin. There are various activities during the party, including passionate band play from Power Jam, bartenders live show and so on. Inspired by Hard Rock's Legendary Burgers, guests and customers participated in the production of the biggest burger in Tianjin! The total weight of the huge hamburger is more than 200kg. Guests enjoyed delicate foods and drinks, which led the party to great excitement and fun.

Here are also special promotion that you don't want to miss! From April 20th to April 30th, WeChat members of Hard Rock Cafe Tianjin can enjoy half-price lunch. Come and join Hard Rock Cafe Tianjin!

Since it was established in 1971, Hard Rock has been committed to a wide variety of philanthropic causes and activities around the world. In every Hard Rock city, the staff makes it a priority to become a valuable community partner and Hard Rock Cafe Tianjin looks forward to continuing this tradition.

]]>Tianjin SocialTue, 23 Apr 2019 09:07:58 +0000Mr. Radek Cais appointed as General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjinhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14288:mr-radek-cais-appointed-as-general-manager-of-the-ritz-carlton-tianjin&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14288:mr-radek-cais-appointed-as-general-manager-of-the-ritz-carlton-tianjin&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27Accomplished hotelier, Mr. Radek Cais, has joined The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin in the role of General Manager, bringing vast hotel industry experience specifically in the luxury space to this iconic Tianjin property.

"I am thrilled to move to Tianjin with my family, a metropolis in northern China. I am delighted and it is an honor to serve as General Manager to lead both the hotel and the residences of The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin" said Cais. "The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin is one of the most beautiful luxury hotels in the world. My aim is to attract luxury travelers from all over the globe to experience this iconic property and the historic destination of Tianjin” Cais beams.

A Canadian national with Bohemian origins, Mr. Cais holds a Cornell University Masters Certificate in Hospitality Management. Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton Group, Mr. Cais worked for the Brussel based Rezidor Hotel Company for 16 years.

In 2012, Mr. Cais joined The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal as Hotel Manager. The property resembling Venetian palaces opened to great reviews and was awarded the “Best New Business Hotel in the World 2014” by Business Traveler US.

Mr. Cais was promoted to General Manager in charge of the pre-opening of The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo in 2014. Under his leadership, the hotel achieved a first place RGI ranking in Cairo after just one year, additionally the property was successful positioned as the premiere venue in Cairo for luxury weddings.

Prior to The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin, Mr. Cais worked in Shanghai as General Manager & Managing Director of East China at the luxury Wanda Reign on the Bund, in addition overseeing 15 other hotels.

As the General Manager, Radek Cais’ wealth of experience, and leadership skills are important assets to further enhance the luxury experiences for guests visiting The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin.

]]>Tianjin FinanceTue, 23 Apr 2019 08:39:28 +0000Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin Launches Aria on 9 Sky Gardenhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14287:four-seasons-hotel-tianjin-launches-aria-on-9-sky-garden&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14287:four-seasons-hotel-tianjin-launches-aria-on-9-sky-garden&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2Spring is the perfect time to soak up some sun on the terrace, and so Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin begins a sweet and fresh escape for its guests. The Hotel just launched Aria on 9 Sky Garden by a “Fiesta Latina” themed party on 20 April 2019 and it will open till the end of October 2019, as the ideal pop up venue for the spring, summer and autumn. City and in-house guests can enjoy refreshing garden terrace offerings in a beautiful and stylish garden pavilion.

Located on the ninth floor of Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin, Aria on 9 combines artistic design and lifestyle with stunning views in the heart of Tianjin. Softly tailored furnishings and the sparkling reflection of the pool create a modern, stylish and relaxing ambience, while the delightful gustatory offerings and thoughtful services create an unprecedented outdoor experience for guests. Encouraging social dining, late night snacking and “skipping dinner”, Aria on 9 offers a globally inspired menu featuring grilled meats and seafood to be pairing with garden cocktail, crafted beer, sparking wine and selected wine.

Aria on 9 is open from 17:30 pm to 23:00 midnight daily. Guest who dines at Cielo Western Restaurant at the other time can also sit and enjoy terrace-dining experience there. It can also turns to an exclusive, special and customizable event space for corporate banquet, romantic marriage proposal or wedding ceremony as well as baby shower or birthday party.

For more details about the above news, can contact Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin at +86 (022) 2716 6264 / 6170.

Over the course of the day, a series of bombs exploded, including at churches and luxury hotels, killing around 290 people. It was the deadliest series of attacks the South Asian island country had seen since a bloody civil war there ended a decade ago.

The explosions — most of them in or around Colombo, the capital — collapsed ceilings and blew out windows, killing worshippers and hotel guests in one scene after another of smoke, soot, blood, broken glass, screams and wailing alarms. Victims were carried out of blood-spattered pews.

Most of those killed were Sri Lankans. But the three bombed hotels and one of the churches, St. Anthony’s Shrine, were frequented by foreign tourists, and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said the bodies of at least 27 foreign visitors from a variety of countries were recovered.

The U.S. said “several” American were among the dead, while Britain and China said they, too, lost citizens.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he feared the massacre could trigger instability in Sri Lanka, a country of about 21 million people, and vowed to “vest all necessary powers with the defense forces” to take action against those responsible.

A woman is tears after a deadly bomb blast at St.Anthony's Shrine in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo on Sunday

The government imposed a nationwide curfew from 6pm to 6am and blocked Facebook and other social media, saying it needed to curtail the spread of false information and ease tension.

Soldiers secure the area around St.Anthony's Shrine

The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, called on Sri Lanka’s government to “mercilessly” punish those responsible “because only animals can behave like that.”

The scale of the bloodshed recalled the worst days of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, in which the Tamil Tigers, a rebel group from the ethnic Tamil minority, sought independence from the Buddhist-majority country. During the war, the Tigers and other rebels carried out a multitude of bombings. The Tamils are Hindu, Muslim and Christian.

Sri Lanka, situated off the southern tip of India, is about 70 percent Buddhist, with the rest of the population Muslim, Hindu or Christian. While there have been scattered incidents of anti-Christian harassment in recent years, there has been nothing on the scale of what happened Sunday.

Sri Lankan police stand at the site of the explosion in a restaurant area of the luxury Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo

Six nearly simultaneous blasts took place in the morning in Colombo at St. Anthony’s Shrine — a Catholic church — and the Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury hotels. After a lull of a few hours, two more explosions occurred at St. Sebastian Catholic church in Negombo, a mostly Catholic town north of Colombo, and at the Protestant Zion church in the eastern town of Batticaloa.

A woman is helped near St. Anthony's Shrine, the site of one of multiple explosions in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday

Three police officers were killed while conducting a search at a suspected safe house in Dematagoda, on the outskirts of Colombo, when its occupants apparently detonated explosives to prevent arrest, Wijewardena said.

Local TV showed the Shangri-La’s second-floor restaurant was gutted, with the ceiling and windows blown out. Loose wires hung and tables were overturned in the blackened space. From outside the police cordon, three bodies could be seen covered in white sheets.

Performances:
Join us for ancient ritual performances from Qufu, Confucius’ hometown in Shandong Province. The Confucian Coming-of-Age Ceremony dates back thousands of years in China and involved the granting of special headwear to young people marking their transition to the social and family responsibilities of adulthood. Ancient music and dance performances as well as intangible cultural heritage activities, including script carving, inscription rubbings, and The Analects of Confucius calligraphy, will also be on display in the hotel lobby throughout the festival for visitors to interact with.

Kong Family Cuisine:
Shang Palace will be presenting a taste of Qufu’s Kong Family cuisine, which is based on the Shandong regional ‘Lu’ cuisine with an imperial influence and a touch of Huaiyang cuisine from southern China. Kong Family cuisine features interesting and creative presentations and ingredients skillfully combined through centuries of input from chefs to fully express the four important elements in the art of Chinese cooking – colour, aroma, flavour and texture.

Chef Liu Haiyang:
Chef Liu Haiyang is the Chinese Executive Chef of Shangri-La Hotel,Qufu. Born in Qufu. Chef Liu has emerged as a representative of new-style Confucian cuisine. He was invited by CCTV-1 to craft Confucian dishes for the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala in 2018 and participated in a food documentary broadcast by CCTV in 2018.

Shangri-La Hotel Tianjin is delighted to welcome Chef Liu from Shangri-La Hotel Qufuand Chef BaoYudong from Que Li Bin Sherestaurant to join us for our Confucian Culture and Cuisine Festival held at the hotel from 19-25 April 2019. Chef Liu will be preparing a Gala Dinner at Shang Palace on 25 April 2019 (RMB488 net/person, RMB588 net/person with wine), and select dishes will also be available on Shang Palace’s a la carte menu and Café Yun’s daily buffet between 19-25 April 2019.

On 19th and 20th of April, Wellington College China held its fourth annual Festival of Education in Tianjin, which was assured to outdo even the greatest of successes from previous years. The event gathered together more than 40 expert speakers delivering over 150 presentations, talks and workshops, spanning six days and three cities, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Tianjin between 12th to 20th of April.

Experts from the United Kingdom, China and all over the world gathered together

During the two-day event in Tianjin, experts from the United Kingdom, China and all over the world gathered together, bringing their insights and educational expertise to bear on education not just today but into the future. These forward-looking educational issues were commented upon by and discussed during the festival by Julian Jeffrey, Master, Wellington College Tianjin, he remarked: “I am delighted that the world of education is coming to Tianjin this week. The development of new ideas and of ways of learning are a vital response to the changing demands of the world of work. Young people emerging from schools and universities today will need significantly different skills from their parents and grandparents. Educators, parents and researchers need to be alive to these challenges and, by maintaining a focus on debate and informed discussion, I hope that we here at Wellington College in China can help to play our part.”

The 2019 festival offered five distinct strands: Early Years,Wellbeing, ‘A Developing Romance’, Exploring Education, and Multilingualism. These strands allowed the most relevant questions and challenges facing modern education to be meaningfully explored. The festival encouraged attendees to connect, debate, celebrate, explore, and appreciate the pace at which modern education is evolving and shifting.

Festival-goers had the opportunity to engage with and gain insights from leading experts and pioneering voices in contemporary progressive education. Charity Director, photographer and film producer, Bee Gilbert set up a charity called Anno's Africa. She presented 'Gender inequality in education in poor environments'. Outstanding novelist, non-fiction writer and broadcaster Ian Marchant talked about alternative education. Dr Terry Qian, a renowned independent researcher and educational consultant, discussed how a radical rethink of the education system is required to help children succeed in their lives after school. The Director of Culture - one of his many talents is organising art and literary festivals - Dr Stephen Jacobi talked about technology, academic honesty and what the future might hold for the ways we think.

Ian Warwick presented ‘How to challenge and support our most able learners’

“wellbeing education is not only just about making childrenhappy in education;it is aiming to help our pupils develop a positive mindset and to further inspire their potential to be more creative. It also helps our pupils to be more socially active and be infused with the social environment. This could benefit their career and life in the long term.” Said Dr. Yang Yang, deputy headmaster of Wellington College Tianjin.

This year, the wellbeing strand was a prominent theme. Mental health has become an essential part of the educational experience, symptomatic of the widespread push towards carefully defined targets and the behaviour required to achieve them. Dr Stephen Jacobi remarked: “It’s probably fair to say that education has become more complicated in recent history. As it adjusts and shifts its position, persistently adapting itself to a fluid global context, so all of its constituent elements are reconfigured and reshaped. Wellbeing, for example, has been thrust into the limelight and it is here accorded due respect. In the future, even the near-future, other pressures will be brought to bear on education. The important thing is to discuss their possible effect and work out whether they are worth accommodating within our schools.”

Festival sessions featured prominent names from across the spectrum of creativity, education, mental health and wellbeing, literature, and academia. The renowned television presenter, comedian and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax presented her audience with insights on the nature of humanity and asked questions about the things that make us truly human.In addition, the inventor of the Leuven scale, a measurement for emotional wellbeing, Professor Ferre Laevers, offered his perspectives on what it means to be properly involved with life.

Ruby Wax presented her audience with insights on the mental health

A commitment to progressive, cutting-edge, forward-thinking education

As the 2019 Festival’s predominant theme, ‘wellbeing’ reflects Wellington College Tianjin’s commitment to a balanced and holistic education.

Meanwhile, the multilingualism strand of the festival has close links to Wellington College China’s commitment to bilingual education through Wellington College Bilingual Nursery and Wellington College’s A Level Centre. The development of bilingualism is both a linguistic goal, designed to prepare pupils for a future in international academic institutions, as well as accelerating cognitive development for all learners.

Over six days, Festival-goers were stimulated to think about education through a series of well-presented and thought-provoking talks, and workshops. The organisers of the festival would like to express their sincere thanks to all the speakers and attendees, also to the sponsors and exhibitors, for their contributions and much-appreciated efforts to the critical debate regarding modern education.

Keeping education relevant and effective in a rapidly-changing world

The Wellington College China Festival of Education has its origins in the founding school’s festival in England and is now recognised as a benchmark international educational event. Since its inauguration in October 2015, the China festival has enjoyed similar success in attracting thousands of participants to discuss the most relevant and important questions facing modern education.

Given that the world is changing so quickly, education must face the challenge to adjust and keep up. This is no small task. It requires the combined input of educators, parents and pupils to continuously plot the best route. Accordingly, the Wellington College China Festival of Education focused on developing both theories and tangible practices, while offering a great opportunity for parents and educators to engage in the ever-evolving conversation around education. Not only did this approach allow for a variety of perspectives to be considered, it also encouraged audiences to engage with one another and share their own unique experiences. Attendees were inspired by the presentations of the various speakers, while also having ample chances to become involved in hands-on workshops and connect with other educationalists, teachers and parents.

]]>Tianjin FinanceMon, 22 Apr 2019 08:01:42 +0000Place to enjoy "Sea of sunflowers" this summer in Tianjinhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14283:place-to-enjoy-qsea-of-sunflowersq-this-summer-in-tianjin&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14283:place-to-enjoy-qsea-of-sunflowersq-this-summer-in-tianjin&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2Yong Ding Zhou Park which located in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City is now under renovation and upgrading. It is expected to be completed in June this year. Three "small islands" with a total area of more than 12,000 square meters will be included in the renovation. One of them will turn into a sea of sunflowers. Unlike spring flowers or fickle cherry blossoms, sunflowers bloom every year in mid-July. For sure it will become an ideal place for people to photograph. The park is free to enter.

The “Window to the Eco-City”, Yong Ding Zhou Area is an exclusive nature sanctuary with large tracts of wetlands inhabited by migratory birds. The new Yong Ding Zhou Eco Cultural Theme Park will serve as the eco-tourism hub in the Tianjin Eco-City. The integration of the theme park with high-end commercial, hotel and residential developments with sea views, will create an unparalleled experience of harmony with nature for residents as well as visitors to the Eco-City. The riverfront is envisaged to be the centre for eco-friendly leisure, entertainment, retail and other ‘play’ activities that will co-exist with nature.

]]>Tianjin SocialFri, 19 Apr 2019 01:42:05 +0000Airbus inaugurates first helicopter final assembly line in Chinahttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14282:airbus-inaugurates-first-helicopter-final-assembly-line-in-china&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14282:airbus-inaugurates-first-helicopter-final-assembly-line-in-china&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65An Airbus H135 helicopter is seen at the Berlin Air Show

The Airbus Qingdao H135 Final Assembly Line (FAL), the first helicopter line built by a foreign manufacturer in China, was put into service Wednesday in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province.

It is the first time of Airbus has put final assembly facilities of the H135 helicopter outside Europe. The move marked a new chapter in Sino-European cooperation and Airbus' expanded partnership with China, according to Airbus.

The first helicopter roll-out from the FAL is expected to take place in the second half of 2019.

The Airbus Qingdao H135 FAL is a joint venture between Airbus Helicopters and United General Aviation Company. It follows a cooperation agreement between Airbus Helicopters and China in 2016 for the purchase of 100 H135s.

The initial annual production capacity is 18 helicopters. And its capacity could be doubled to meet the growing Chinese demand.

The H135 light twin-engine helicopter is a popular model from Airbus Helicopters. It can be used for helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) missions, search and rescue, law enforcement, firefighting and tourism.

]]>China FinanceFri, 19 Apr 2019 01:39:12 +0000Amazon is shutting down its China marketplace businesshttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14281:amazon-is-shutting-down-its-china-marketplace-business&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14281:amazon-is-shutting-down-its-china-marketplace-business&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Amazon is preparing to close a Chinese online store that caters to mainland consumers, according to people familiar with the matter.

Amazon’s other Chinese operations, such Amazon Web Services, Kindle e-books, and cross-border teams that help ship goods from Chinese merchants to customers abroad, will continue to operate, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.

Amazon entered the Chinese market in 2004 through the acquisition of Joyo, a domestic online shopping market. Joyo was rebranded to Amazon China in 2011. It enjoyed success in the early days with market share of over 15 percent in 2011 to 2012, according to China-based analyst Choi Chun of iResearch. That has now plummeted to less than 1 percent, according to another China-based market research firm, Analysys.

Amazon had a reputation in the early days of its China operation for being a site that would have legitimate products and so was trusted by Chinese consumers. Chinese players like Alibaba struggled with policing fake items on their sites. Chinese e-commerce players, however, have been taking proactive measures to fight counterfeit goods.

Not only is Amazon trying to compete with e-commerce giants like JD and Alibaba, who are often able to deliver goods to Chinese customers faster, but smaller domestic like Pinduoduo and VIP.com are also offering a challenge.

The U.S. giant has also not been as aggressive on the marketing front as some of its rivals. Alibaba and JD both do huge sales promotions and big advertising campaigns on Nov.11 each year, known in China as Singles Day.

Amazon said in its statement that it is emphasizing cross-border trade. While that may have been a unique part of the business in the past, China’s domestic players have put a big focus on that in recent years. In November, Alibaba announced plans to help global businesses sell $200 billion in goods to China in the next five years. However, analysts said Amazon can still compete for now.

In its statement Amazon said its “commitment to China remains strong.”

]]>China FinanceFri, 19 Apr 2019 01:34:19 +0000Beijing Expo 2019 to open on April 29thhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14280:beijing-expo-2019-to-open-on-april-29th&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14280:beijing-expo-2019-to-open-on-april-29th&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2An aerial view of the Guirui Theater of the Beijing International Horticultural Expo 2019 at Yanqing District in Beijing

Slated to open on April 29 at the foot of the Great Wall in Beijing's Yanqing district is the Beijing Expo 2019, also known as the International Horticultural Exhibition, and 110 countries and international organizations are expected to participate.

The Expo will display the latest achievements in horticulture and vegetable farming. Its performing Arts Center, named "Gui Rui", has been unveiled, after workers completed the building's unique butterfly-inspired roof.

The performing arts center looks like a colorful, dancing butterfly and is one of the expo's icons.

The expo's service group will have 4,000 staff on duty to provide operation management, reception, and tourist and security services.

The International Pavilion

The Plant Pavilion

All 78 entrances to the expo were opened with 30 electric vehicles shuttling guests to and from the parking lot. Visitors enjoyed food and beverages and shopping of small commodities in the park.

Beijing said its economy expanded by 6.4 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2019, topping the 6.3 percent that analysts polled by Reuters had expected. China’s economy grew by 6.4 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of last year, and 6.8 percent in the first quarter of 2018.

Workers check parts at a factory in Fujian province

The Asian economic giant also released other economic indicators:

- Industrial production jumped 8.5 percent year-on-year in March — surging past the 5.9 percent estimated by Reuters to register the fastest growth since July 2014.

- Fixed asset investment in the first quarter increased by 6.3 percent year-on-year, in line with expectations.

]]>China FinanceThu, 18 Apr 2019 08:59:59 +0000Nathan Griffin Appointed as Chef de Cuisine of grill 79 @ China World Summit Wing, Beijinghttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14278:nathan-griffin-appointed-as-chef-de-cuisine-of-grill-79--china-world-summit-wing-beijing&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14278:nathan-griffin-appointed-as-chef-de-cuisine-of-grill-79--china-world-summit-wing-beijing&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2China World Summit Wing, Beijing, a flagship Shangri-La hotel, is delighted to announce the appointment of Chef Nathan Griffin as chef de cuisine of Grill 79, the hotel’s upscale international restaurant.

Originally from England, Chef Griffin started his culinary career in 2000 and worked at many culinary institutions around the UK. Greatly influenced by renowned chefs he met at various renowned restaurants, he has able to hone his culinary expertise under their guidance.

Chef Griffin joined Shangri-La in 2010, working as head chef of Sydney restaurant Altitude. During his stint in the kitchen, he took the restaurant from one to three “hats” in the Good Food Guide, Australia’s premier restaurant guide. In 2015, he transferred to Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila, where he led the opening of two outlets, including Raging Bull Chophouse and Bar.

"I love using local and seasonal produce to create my dishes, and I’m excited to introduce my style of cuisine to diners in Beijing,” Chef Griffin said. Perched high above Beijing on Level 79, Grill 79 boasts an extensive collection of cellared wines and has unparalleled city view’s, all complementing Chef Griffin’s food.

With the world-class service and luxurious atmosphere one can expect from Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Grill 79 is set to be the go-to choice for fine dining this season.

For enquiries and reservations, call (86 10) 8571 6459 or email fbreservations.cwsw@shangri-la.com. Follow the hotel’s WeChat account at “bjcwsw” for the latest offers and promotions.

]]>Tianjin SocialThu, 18 Apr 2019 08:50:11 +0000Nearly 1 million foreigners worked in China last yearhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14277:nearly-1-million-foreigners-worked-in-china-last-year&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14277:nearly-1-million-foreigners-worked-in-china-last-year&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Policewoman helps a foreigner get cleared at immigration inspection checkpoint of the airport in Qingdao

China issued 336,000 foreigner's work permits and more than 950,000 foreigners worked in the country in 2018, which shows that China is becoming an ideal place for innovation and entrepreneurship for foreign talent.

Romanian medical expert Dante Neculai works in Zhejiang University

Well-known Chinese companies including Huawei and Tencent received more than 180,000 resumes from overseas and domestic outstanding experts at a conference focusing on promoting international exchanges of professionals. The conference was hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, on Sunday and Monday.

As China pledges to further open up its economy to the outside world, one priority should be foreign professionals. The country has to open up its social resources, such as the education and healthcare systems, to foreign workers and their family members, offering equal treatment to Chinese and foreign professionals.

More young foreigners studying in China to stay for work

Suitable policies can be launched first in Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. If China wants to make the area a new Silicon Valley-type technology and innovation hub in a technological cold war with the US, it has to be made into an international professionals hub first. While many have been focusing on attracting outstanding professionals from the US and European countries, China should not ignore talent in some developing countries, especially India, where average wages for professionals are relatively low.

The Pudong International Talent Hub

China has made remarkable achievements in attracting people from abroad in recent years through more practical talent introduction policies, further relaxing the requirements for visa and residence permits, and simplifying procedures involving social security, household registration and children's education, Wang added.

However, the government also warned that it would impose strict regulations on the entry of foreigners due to recent cases of crimes committed by foreigners, such as illegal English teachers.

With 500,000 square meters GFA, located in the new BADALI CBD of Hexi District, MCC Honour Plaza is the first integration urban complex project of MCC in Tianjin which set office, shopping mall, culture, entertainment, education training, high-end residential all in one grand synthesis. Double River, Cross axis, Liveable business life.

MCC Honour Plaza, with office building area of 47,000 square meters, standard floor area of 1,800 square meters. The project adopts "neoclassical" ART DECO architectural style and integrates "founder" Oriental elements, adhering to the architectural style of MCC mansion. In order to separate the people flow during the morning and evening rush, the office building is equipped with 10.2 meters high double-hall; 11 Thyssenkrupp speedy elevators help improve business efficiency; Star green building certification, for your health office escort; Dual urban power supply, double insurance for work; The office building shares 2,297 parking Spaces, convenient and quick, visitors worry free.

MCC and HOUSING CHINA, will jointly bring a merchants feast for Tianjin office market, the two companies will also be all-round cooperation in more fields in future.

]]>Tianjin FinanceWed, 17 Apr 2019 07:32:54 +0000China starts investigation into Telecom Giant Ericssonhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14275:china-starts-investigation-into-telecom-giant-ericsson&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14275:china-starts-investigation-into-telecom-giant-ericsson&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Swedish telecom giant Ericsson said on April 16 that China's market regulator was investigating the company over licensing issues as countries around the world prepare to roll out the next generation of mobile networks.

China's State Administration of Market Regulation is investigating the firm due to complaints against its intellectual property rights licensing in China.

The telecom gear maker earns about 7% of its revenue in China, according to its 2018 annual report. China's market regulator dispatched roughly 20 investigators to raid Ericsson's Beijing office on Friday.

"Ericsson is fully cooperating with the investigation and will refrain from further comments while it is ongoing," a spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement.

Ericsson and its US-based competitor Qualcomm own a large portion of patents connected to 3G and 4G mobile networks and devices and have come under fire for the high licensing royalties they charge.

Qualcomm in 2015 agreed to pay a 6.1 billion yuan (nearly $1 billion) fine and said it would modify its business practices in China to end an official anti-trust investigation triggered after unnamed industry players complained the firm was abusing its market dominance to charge high prices.

China's homegrown tech giant Huawei has earned a large number of patents that companies will need to license as they roll out next generation 5G mobile networks and devices.

Huawei is the world's biggest producer of telecommunications gear and has been under fire in recent months after the arrest of a top executive in Canada and a global campaign by Washington to blacklist its equipment over security concerns.

]]>China FinanceWed, 17 Apr 2019 07:24:08 +0000New national standards on electric bicycles implementedhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14274:new-national-standards-on-electric-bicycles-implemented&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14274:new-national-standards-on-electric-bicycles-implemented&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2China started to implement new national standards for electric bicycles on April 15. A qualified electric bicycle must have pedal functions and its speed cannot surpass 25 kilometers per hour, according to standards issued last May.

The vehicle's weight, including battery, shall not exceed 55 kilograms and the motor power and battery voltage should not exceed 400 Watts and 48 volts respectively.

Additional technical requirements including tamper-proof, fireproof and charger protection systems are also included in the new standards, replacing the ones issued in 1999.

Vehicles that do not meet requirements will be classified as electric motorcycles, which need license plates and drivers' licenses.

Many travel companies have already been involved in shared electric bicycles or the electric-powered vehicle business. Bike-sharing company Mobike launched electric-powered vehicles as early as July 2018, the report said.

The epicenter was monitored at 40.34 degrees north latitude and 116.39 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 19 km, the center said in a statement.

The tremor was felt in parts of Beijing, particularly in districts of Huairou, Yanqing and Changping. No casualties and property damages have been reported.

Beijing Haidian District

Just a few days ago, a 2.9 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 17 kilometers was detected at 1:25 pm on April 7th in Beijing's Haidian district, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The Beijing Earthquake Agency has organized experts to analyze the seismic event.

]]>China socialTue, 16 Apr 2019 09:37:54 +0000Tianjin is on the list of "Most Attractive Chinese Cities for Expats"http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14272:tianjin-is-on-the-list-of-qmost-attractive-chinese-cities-for-expatsq&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14272:tianjin-is-on-the-list-of-qmost-attractive-chinese-cities-for-expatsq&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27The annual survey Amazing China -- the Most Attractive Chinese Cities for Expats 2018 unveiled its results at the Shenzhen forum of the Conference on International Exchange of Professionals on April 14 in Shenzhen.

Shanghai, China's financial hub, prevailed as expats' favorite city to work and live in for the sixth year in a row, followed by Beijing, Hefei, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Xi'an and Wuhan.

The campaign also looked at cities with the most potential to attract expats, naming Xiamen, Nanjing, Urumqi, Guangzhou, Xuzhou, Haikou, Kunming, Jinan, Dalian and Chengdu.

In recent years, China has implemented a work permit system for foreigners to come to China and a visa system for expats. This has promoted the government affairs, policies, work and living environment of Chinese cities, allowing more expats to live and work better in China.

The survey has been conducted for nine years, starting in 2010. The Amazing China 2018 poll took place from November to December. Results were analyzed from 239 signed votes from top expert panels, 2,815 votes from foreign experts, and 94,849 votes from internet users.

Cainiao Network, Alibaba's delivery arm, announced Thursday that they have added the ability to send packages through facial recognition technology to their courier services.

After the facial recognition technology scans the face of senders, they can have their packages or letters delivered without giving their personal information

Senders in China are required to show their ID cards when sending packages. However, the facial recognition technology will scan the face of senders in one to two seconds, and senders can have their packages or letters delivered without giving their personal information, according to Cainiao.

Senders need to upload information of addressee and mailing addresses via various mobile apps of Alibaba, such as Taobao and Alipay, in advance.

The Zhejiang-based company said the technology, which has received advice and support from local postal sectors and public security departments, can better protect senders' individual privacy, and the whole process of sending packages will be simplified.

Cainiao said the pilot scheme has started in more than 300 logistics stations in eight cities across China, including the cities of Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Fuzhou, Xiamen and Jinan.

The facial recognition technology is expected to be promoted across the country.

]]>China FinanceTue, 16 Apr 2019 09:08:25 +0000Girl, 4, dies after being left behind in hot car by forgetful fatherhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14270:girl-4-dies-after-being-left-behind-in-hot-car-by-forgetful-father&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14270:girl-4-dies-after-being-left-behind-in-hot-car-by-forgetful-father&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2A four-year-old girl is dead in Yiying city, Hunan Province, after her father left her in a car for almost ten hours. The child reportedly perished from suffocation inside the closed vehicle.

The girl's father, surnamed Hu, put the child into the car on the morning of her death in order to take her to school. On the way, Hu reportedly became distracted by his phone and forgot to drop his daughter off at her kindergarten. He eventually drove to another destination, locked his car, and walked away with his daughter still inside the vehicle.

The girl was found lifeless in the back seat of the car by her parents at 5pm.

Following the tragedy, Hu also questioned the kindergarten for failing to inform the parents about the girl’s absence that day.

According to a police investigation, the girl’s death was caused by Hu’s negligence and had nothing to do with the kindergarten. The school made a donation of 32,000 yuan to the parents.

After the first round of selection, a Junior Equestrian Team consisting of 16 professional riders has been formed, aged between 7 and 16 years old. The Metropony Club will serve as a training base for the Junior Equestrian Team. The Metropony Club owns many stables and ponies used for showing, riding and other activities. The management team from Europe and training team from Argentina have great advantage in grooming and training horses. By introducing the French Galop system, the Club will create a well-trained, brave team. The head coach will be JC Martin from France.

Volkswagen plans to build a fully electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) for China from 2021, taking on the Chinese market leader Tesla’s Model X as the German carmaker ramps up production of zero emissions vehicles.

The planned new SUV is the latest move in Volkswagen’s aggressive growth strategy in China, where electric cars are given preferential treatment by authorities.

VW said its ID ROOMZZ, which it presented in Shanghai on Sunday, will have three rows of seats and an operating range of up to 450 kms. The concept car is capable of a “level 4 autonomous driving”, VW said.

The Volkswagen T-Cross model stands on a lifting platform in a car tower on the Volkswagen factory premises

VW Chief Executive Herbert Diess said the ID ROOMZ will be the flagship electric car to be launched by Volkswagen in China.

A Volkswagen Golf GTE being charged during a workshop prior to Auto Guangzhou

"We plan to produce more than 22 million electric cars in the next 10 years,” Diess said, adding that around half of VW’s engineers were working on products destined for China.

Diess said the ID ROOMZ would eventually be rolled out to other markets.

]]>China FinanceMon, 15 Apr 2019 08:52:43 +0000Cruel mum kicks child model daughter, 3, for being 'too tired' to performhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14267:cruel-mum-kicks-child-model-daughter-3-for-being-too-tired-to-perform&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14267:cruel-mum-kicks-child-model-daughter-3-for-being-too-tired-to-perform&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2Two days after a video of a mother kicking her 3-year-old daughter during a photo shoot went viral on Chinese social media, the woman apologized in a statement posted Wednesday to microblogging platform Weibo.

“The girl is my beloved daughter, and she receives the best care and love,” the woman wrote in the post, which had received over 117,000 comments by time of publication. She added that it was never her intention to hurt the toddler, whom she calls Niu Niu.

The incident occurred in Hangzhou, home to Alibaba and Taobao. With the city’s booming e-commerce industry, there is considerable demand for models to promote clothing for babies, toddlers, adolescents, and teens.

The video of the woman kicking her child has sparked debate about China’s already-controversial child modeling industry, with many netizens denouncing the woman as unfit to be a parent and questioning whether she’s exploiting her daughter for financial gain.

Soon after posting her apology online, the mother explained that she had kicked her daughter because the girl had been running around near a road and it was getting dark. “I was trying to give her a warning,” she said, “but I regret [my actions] and blame myself.”

According to the woman, Niu Niu just turned 3 years old and has been modeling for over half a year. She also said the family doesn’t rely solely on Niu Niu for income: “Her father has a job,” the woman explained.

After the kicking incident, one kidswear shop announced that it would terminate its cooperation with the family and delivered a message to the mother: “Niu Niu is cute, please treat her nicely.”

On Thursday, over 100 kidswear shops on Taobao issued a joint statement calling for regulation and oversight of the country’s child modeling industry. Businesses should work together to standardize the procedures for photo shoots involving children, forbid all forms of violence against children, and refuse to use photos or videos if the kids would be at risk of being harmed during shooting, the merchants said.

Families generally don’t sign contracts with merchants or photography studios. “They’re usually paid in cash at the end of the day, based on the number of outfits their kid models. The fee varies from 30 yuan ($4.50) to over 100 yuan per outfit.” The mother of a Hangzhou child model said her daughter modeled around 50 outfits per day.

According to China’s Provisions on the Prohibition of Using Child Labor, no employer may hire children under the age of 16. The country’s labor law further states that under “serious circumstances,” violators of this provision may have their business licenses revoked. However, because children don’t sign formal contracts, legally speaking, they’re not considered laborers.

]]>China socialFri, 12 Apr 2019 09:50:29 +0000 China's largest stock image provider under fire after black hole 'copyright'http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14266:-chinas-largest-stock-image-provider-under-fire-after-black-hole-copyright&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14266:-chinas-largest-stock-image-provider-under-fire-after-black-hole-copyright&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2Visual China Group, China's largest stock images provider, on Friday shut its website to make changes and apologized after it was criticized online and by regulators for selling images which it did not hold the ownership rights to.

The company, sometimes likened to U.S. photo agency Getty Images which it also partners with, apologized in a post on its official Weibo account, saying the incident revealed its weak management and that it was cooperating with authorities.

State news agency Xinhua said the company had been asked to meet the Tianjin city branch of China's internet watchdog on Thursday evening and ordered to rectify its website.

The topic "Visual China apologizes" was the most-read one on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform on Friday, with over 250 million views. According to its website, Visual China has over 40 million editorial images and 1.25 million videos.

Criticism of the company mounted on social media earlier this week after Weibo users posted that Visual China had indicated that it held the copyright for the first photo of a black hole, the result of research conducted by the Event Horizon Telescope project.

"The company will learn from these lessons, seriously make rectifications, and voluntarily accept how the Tianjin Internet Information Office chooses to deal with the firm."

The total land area of Tianjin is 11,916.9 square kilometers, with mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, springs and wetlands. The 72-kilometer-long Haihe River winds its way through the city and flows into the Bohai Sea, instilling vitality to the entire city. Rivers of northeastern China meet in Tianjin with canals connecting the north and the south. Bohai's being innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea makes Tianjin Port one of the busiest ports in the world.

Endowed with natural beauty and historical heritage, Mount Panshan is known as the 'First Mountain East of Beijing'. Its famous jade pine trees, strange and astonishing peaks, clear waters, grotesquely shaped rocks and clusters of ancient temples won admiration from many emperors in ancient China.

The traditional Chinese houses represented by the Shi's Family Compound with twisted corridor and vivid brick carving show residences in the Qing Dynasty. Tian Hou Gong Temple is the third largest temple of the Chinese sea goddess Mazu as well as Tianjin's oldest building complex.

Household name Painted Clay Figure Zhang, Tianjin Shidiao (tune), Tianjin Kuaiban (clapper talk), Jingyun Dagu etc. were born and formed in Tianjin. Xiangsheng (cross talk), Peking Opera, Pingju Opera, and Hebei Bangzi (clapper opera), etc., have all been cultivated and developed in Tianjin. The humor culture of Tianjin can be felt even when grabbing a taxi.

Tianjin has survived a series of wars, which has left the special scenery of Tianjin as a blend of the west and the east, the old and the new.

Famous educators from Nankai University and Tianjin University contributed to modern education of China as pilots.

Tianjin is the largest financial and trade center in north China and one of the first coastal cities to start opening up and reform. At present, it is an important note of Belt and Road Initiative both in terms of seaways and land transportation. It is also a hot investment destination and innovation hub.

Continuing opening up to the world, constantly optimizing business environment, and accelerating the process of internationalization entail a bigger player of Tianjin both regionally and internationally.

Tianjin Port is the world's highest level manmade deep water port which connects with more than 500 ports around the world. It deploys intelligent management.

Our smoked pancetta is different from other product. It is delicious and has a salty taste. So instead of frying, I recommend to use it as a cooking ingredient. You can use it to cook pasta and you will like the pure taste. Please try it!

Please let us know how many slices you want when you order (about 15g / slice).

]]>Tianjin SocialThu, 11 Apr 2019 09:30:59 +0000China's marriage rate drops for a fifth consecutive year http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14263:chinas-marriage-rate-drops-for-a-fifth-consecutive-year-&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14263:chinas-marriage-rate-drops-for-a-fifth-consecutive-year-&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2China's marriage rate has been declining for five consecutive years, with many either delaying marriage or failing to marry at all.

The marriage rate dropped from 9.9 per 1,000 people in 2013 to a five-year low of 7.2 per 1,000 people in 2018, according to the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The figures vary in different regions. The more developed regions have lower rates of marriage.

Tying the knot is no longer a "necessity" for today's young adults, with many preferring the single life.

"I'd prefer a high-quality single life to a low-quality marriage" is a common refrain.

The increasing costs of living and child education constitute another factor for the downward trend in the marriage rate, said experts.

People between the ages of 20 and 24 had the highest record of marriage registrations before 2012, while people between the ages of 25 and 29 became the mainstay in 2017, accounting for 36.9 percent of all registered couples, according to MCA statistics.

"The attitude toward marriage and giving birth is changing among those born in the 1980s or 1990s, with more choosing to marry late or not to marry," said Lu Jiehua, professor of sociology with Peking University.

China blind date

"In an increasingly tolerant society, marriage is not the only option," Lu added.

]]>China socialThu, 11 Apr 2019 07:33:18 +0000JD.com says it will fire staff who 'cannot struggle hard'http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14262:jdcom-says-it-will-fire-staff-who-cannot-struggle-hard&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14262:jdcom-says-it-will-fire-staff-who-cannot-struggle-hard&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65JD.com has caused outrage by announcing the removal, on a trial basis, of guaranteed minimum incomes for its couriers. The company also said it would fire workers that “cannot struggle hard” even if they have “health or family reasons”.

China’s tech companies have cut spending on employees during the past year as private funding dries up and consumer spending slows.

JD’s control over its in-house logistics gives it an advantage against its competitor Alibaba. The company’s treatment of its workers hit the most-viewed trends on microblogging site Sina Weibo on Monday, with 120m users reading about a leaked email announcing the sacking of some staff.

The first category to be fired, according to the notice, was “people who can’t struggle hard, no matter how good or bad their performance is, how high or low their position is, no matter if they’re an old employee or a trainee.”

According to screenshots, JD responded via an official social media post that the email “was taken out of context” and that it has always taken its workers’ health seriously.

The company also announced on Sunday night that it was going to test the removal of its minimum wage for couriers in some areas and move to a “more incentive-based” system. This would mean workers would be paid a rate per piece depending on how many packages they handled.

"According to the labour law, staff must be paid at least the local monthly minimum wage. This suggests that JD may start to treat its couriers not as staff, but as ‘independent contractors’, similar to ‘zero-hours’ workers, a practice that is already widespread in the delivery sector,” said Jenny Chan, assistant professor of sociology at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Ms Chan added that JD had previously been seen as a relatively good employer by couriers. "The question is how the workers feel about the change - do they see it as increasing their risk? Will they jump to other companies, as often happens in the delivery sector?” she added.

JD explained the policy shift by saying that, after it had started running JD Logistics as an independent business, the subsidiary started handling “a large volume of external orders”, meaning that the old pay structure was “not able to give sufficient incentive to workers”.

]]>China FinanceThu, 11 Apr 2019 07:28:32 +0000Residency Restrictions to Be Scrapped in Many of China’s Citieshttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14261:residency-restrictions-to-be-scrapped-in-many-of-chinas-cities&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14261:residency-restrictions-to-be-scrapped-in-many-of-chinas-cities&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65China’s state planner has required local governments to lift household registration restrictions for people who live and work in some second- and third-tier cities in an effort to advance reform of the residency system for migrants.

China is going to eliminate all restrictions for household registration, or “hukou,” for all cities with an urban population of 1 million to 3 million, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a notice on Monday.

Based on their urban populations in 2016, cities such as Wuxi and Ningbo in eastern China would qualify for the relaxed residency rules, according to NDRC statistics.

The NDRC also said governments of cities with an urban population of 3 million to 5 million should also ease restrictions for farmers-turned-workers who have lived there for more than five years, as well as technicians, college and vocational school graduates and people who have obtained overseas degrees.

China’s hukou registration system dictates that people can only receive many government and social welfare benefits, such as public schooling for their children, health care and retirement pensions, when they live in the cities or rural areas of their official residence. During the planned-economy era when everything was state-owned and people seldom left their place of official residence, it was often extremely difficult to change one’s hukou. But as China opened up its economy after 1979, people began to leave their places of official residence in search of better paying jobs, often in larger cities.

Such migration has come at a cost, however, because moving often means having to pay for costs like education and other social services — something many migrants cannot easily afford. Migrants are also often banned from buying property in cities where they reside if they don’t hold a local hukou.

The result has been a widening array of social problems, and migrants often complain of discrimination. Another big problem has been “left-behind” children, who are forced to stay in their hometowns to get state-supported education. Often, they end up raised by grandparents while their parents are working in larger cities.

These parents are among those that make up what is often called “the floating population,” a group whose place of residence does not match their hukou. It currently accounts for about 18% of China’s total population, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

A recent government report called for serious reform of the hukuo system for migrants. It found that less than 4% of migrants in the 50 cities — including Qingdao, Xiamen, Wuxi, Chengdu and Changsha — were able to obtain permanent residency in their adopted city.

Located on level 77 of China World Tower, CHI is the highest spa retreat in Beijing and, together with the Health Club and the recreational areas on Level 78, comprises a city-centre lifestyle sanctuary with unrivalled views of the capital below.

CHI opens daily from noon to midnight. For enquiries and reservations, guests may call (86 10) 8571 6666. They may also follow the hotel’s WeChat account at “bjcwsw” for the latest offers and promotions.

On March 21st, Bluegogo — a bike-sharing company owned by ride-hailing giant DidiChuxing — started charging Beijing riders 1 yuan for the first 15 minutes and 0.5 yuan for each additional 15-minute period. Previously, the company had charged just 1 yuan for an entire hour.

Just over a week later, the China market’s biggest player, Mobike — now owned by food delivery and restaurant review platform Meituan also implement the same pricing structure as Bluegogo for riders in Beijing.

Meanwhile, Ofo, in full retreat from international markets and rumored to be in dire financial straits—which the company refutes—has yet to raise prices for customers.

Hundreds Queue for Refunds at Ofo’s Beijing Headquarters

After China’s fledgling bike-sharing industry gathered steam in late 2016, investors began pouring money into startups fighting tooth and nail to win market share from their competitors. The following year, industry heavyweights began offering free rides and even cash prizes to attract new users: Mobike attached virtual “red envelopes” of electronic currency to certain bikes, while rival Ofo paid 77.77 yuan to users who collected five different digital cards featuring cute yellow Minions “hidden” in their bikes.

But while the race to attract new riders — and their cash deposits of several hundred yuan each — injected shared-bike startups with quick capital, the market inevitably reached a saturation point, and charging just one or two yuan per ride was no longer enough to maintain the bikes or the companies themselves. Now, eye-popping photos of “bike graveyards” are a regular fixture in media reports worldwide, and Ofo is rumored to be on the verge of bankruptcy.

]]>Tianjin SocialWed, 10 Apr 2019 08:11:00 +0000Parks to use face recognition to weed out the flower-pickershttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14245:parks-to-use-face-recognition-to-weed-out-the-flower-pickers&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14245:parks-to-use-face-recognition-to-weed-out-the-flower-pickers&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2Beijing is planning to use facial recognition technology to ban from parks people who climb trees, snap off branches or pick flowers.

Offenders spotted by the cameras face being placed on a national blacklist that could restrict them from boarding aircraft, taking high-speed trains or visiting foreign countries.

Park officials are hoping the technology will compel “loutish travellers” to follow the rules – for instance, not smoking in certain areas and only setting up barbecues in allowed spots.

This isn’t the first time local authorities have used surveillance technologies to inspire better behaviour amongst citizens. In 2017, six face scanners were installed near the busiest toilet in the Temple of Heaven, a major tourist attraction, after reports of an increasing number of local residents stealing loo rolls from the facilities.

Visitors now need to make eye contact with a computer before the dispenser spits out a few sheets. Anyone wanting more than a single serving of toilet paper must wait an additional nine minutes.

China’s national tourism board have started blacklisting travellers “who failed to observe public order,” for instance by “disturbing the peace, climbing on statues and stealing scenic assets.”

It’s part of a wider, years-long campaign to encourage better manners while traveling, both at home and abroad. Causing a scene at airports or on an airplane can now lead to placement on a “no-fly” list.

And when Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympic Games authorities issued handbooks to residents urging them not to spit in public and reminding them to wait in line for their turn.

We are delighted to announce the final schedule for the Festival of Education 2019.

Here is a selection of topics you can expect to explore and discuss with our 12 international experts and speakers in Hangzhou:

Early Years,which explores the various options on offer for Early Years development strategies, including the value of play, the importance of balance, and the need to develop the ‘whole child’ while at the same time appreciating the need to encourage an early ability to focus on assigned tasks.

Wellbeing,which tackles the tough questions facing modern education, such as how a child can remain healthy and mentally balanced in environments where academic achievement is often measured in an unforgiving manner. Also, what can schools do to ensure that success in examinations is not achieved at the expense of a child’s wellbeing, self-worth, and happiness?

A Developing Romance,which looks at the complex and ever-evolving relationship between British and Chinese models of education. This involves an exploration of the many ways in which the two countries can come together, learn from each other, and perhaps create a ‘third-way’.

Exploring Education,which assesses current educational issues that are not specifically covered by the festival’s other strands, including topics such as psychology, the built-environment of learning, the value of assessments, and the effects of technology.

Multilingualism,which considers the benefits and disadvantages of bi- and multilingual schooling and seeks to understand their effects on children.

Be inspired by the impressive line-up of speakers; get involved with the many presentations, workshops and activities; and connect with other educationalists, teachers, pupils, and parents.

A 2.9-magnitude earthquake at a depth of 17 kilometers was detected at 1:25 pm on Sunday in Beijing's Haidian district, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

Two earthquake experts said the minor quake was a normal activity in the earth's crust caused by changes in crustal stress, and there is no need for the public to panic.

"It is a normal and isolated event," said Guo Xun, dean of the Civil Engineering School at the Institute of Disaster Prevention.

]]>China socialMon, 08 Apr 2019 09:35:27 +0000Forest fire in Sichuan starts again http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14237:forest-fire-in-sichuan-starts-again-&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14237:forest-fire-in-sichuan-starts-again-&catid=56:china-social&Itemid=2A forest fire that killed 27 firefighters and three locals in Sichuan province a week ago started to burn again Saturday afternoon. Around 5 pm on Saturday, the fire was found to have started in the northeastern part of the forest, according to the sources with Muli County, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture.

So far, 350 firefighters are battling the fire and other 440 locals from neighboring towns have rushed to the site. The area burnt by the fire is estimated to be 5 to 10 hectares, spreading due to windy weather.

The forest fire first broke out at around 6 pm on March 30 at a remote spot in the mountains at an altitude of over 3,700 meters in Muli County. Local authorities dispatched more than 600 people to put out the blaze. After engulfing about 15 hectares of forest, the blaze was initially extinguished Tuesday.

A lightning strike has been confirmed as the cause of the fire, local authorities said earlier. The restarting of the fire was caused by strong wind in the area.

China is set to release an updated version of its personal credit report as part of the country's broader efforts in strengthening its social credit system. The report, which will cover almost every aspect of daily life, including overdue water and phone bills and spouse information, will become a "second ID and invisible resume" for citizens, analysts said.

The Credit Reference Center, an independent credit information service institution under the People's Bank of China (PBC), the country's central bank, has been developing a new version of the personal credit report, which is likely to be officially launched in the near future.

In addition to some basic personal information that was required by the old credit report, the new version will include more details such as spouse information and more complete professional information, He said.

Individual financial activities such as repayment and overdue payments will be recorded in the new report, which will also focus on information including telecommunications, water supply payment, overdue taxes, civil rulings, administrative punishment, subsistence allowance, professional qualifications and administrative incentives.

The information included in the new credit report covers various aspects of people's lives and any discredited behaviors will be recorded, leading to restrictions in their daily activities. For example, credit approval from financial institutions can be affected for a person with negative records on their credit report.

Industry insiders said that as the new report includes the information of spouses, if a couple gets divorced in order to take advantage of favorable policies for first home buyers, such as lower down payment and interest rates, they will no longer be eligible for the policies.

Credit records do not merely focus on borrowing money. Other aspects such as overdue water and phone bills, which "are not trivial things," are also important factors that can help create a more multi-dimensional evaluation of an individual's social credit.

IKEA Tianjin Zhongbei Store is the 27th store in China. There are 51 inspirational showrooms, more than 9000 products, 700 seats in restaurant and free Småland where is the great place for you and your family to spend whole day to enjoy!

The two IKEA Experience centers: Tianjin Joy City Experience Center and Tianjin Delight City Experience Center in Nankai have been officially opened to public.

]]>Tianjin SocialMon, 08 Apr 2019 08:48:24 +0000World Intelligence Congress set for Mayhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14234:world-intelligence-congress-set-for-may&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14234:world-intelligence-congress-set-for-may&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27The 3rd World Intelligence Congress will be held May 16 to 19 in Tianjin, and will attract participants from over 30 countries and regions, according to a promotion meeting in Beijing on Wednesday.

The first World Intelligence Congress was held in Tianjin in June 2017

The theme of this year's congress will be, "Intelligence New Era: Evolution, Strategy and Opportunity". There will be a main forum, where experts and scholars will deliver keynote speeches. More than 20 side forums will be held, covering topics such as scientific innovation, global cooperation, the future of the intelligent industry, and the application of scientific innovation.

Technicians demonstrate an intelligent assistor at the ongoing Second World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin

In the meantime, an intelligent technological exhibition will be held during the event. The exhibition area will cover 58,000 square meters, and will be divided into six zones, including scientific research and innovation, intelligent manufacturing, big data, to smart city, smart life and intelligent application.

Up to 38 of the world's top 500 companies, such as Microsoft, Huawei and Google, with 59 domestic top 500 companies, will attend.

]]>Tianjin FinanceThu, 04 Apr 2019 09:14:21 +0000China's largest Maritime Museum to open in Tianjin this yearhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14233:chinas-largest-maritime-museum-to-open-in-tianjin-this-year&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14233:chinas-largest-maritime-museum-to-open-in-tianjin-this-year&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2China's largest maritime museum which is located in Tianjin Binhai New Area will start trial operation from May 1st, 2019. Built with a total investment of three billion yuan, the National Maritime Museum will cover 300,000 square meters, and boast a collection showcasing ancient boats, fossils, maps, and rare animals.

Equipped with some of the most innovative technologies, the museum will also offer a historical review of China's oceanography and the culture behind it.

Situated in one of the city's most popular tourist areas, the museum is expected to become a major attraction for both foreign and domestic tourists.

A copy of the ancient "Song Yuan Fu Ship"

According to Liang Chunzao, Binhai New Area vice-director, the museum will become a key part of travel routes in the coastal area.

Xu Chunmei, director of the Bureau of Culture and Tourism in Binhai New Area, said during the 2019's first three months, the area's major tourism attractions welcomed 479,400 visitors, generating 70.5 million yuan in revenue, up 11.26% and 20.40%, year-on-year, respectively.

The area also features the Teda Aircraft Carrier Park, a theme park constructed in 2006 from a renovated Kiev aircraft carrier, delivered to the area from Russia.

The area is also renowned for its library, which has garnered headlines both at home and abroad since opening in September 2017. The library welcomed 250,000 visitors last year.

Ancient Ocean Exhibition Hall

Modern Ocean Exhibition Hall

]]>Tianjin SocialThu, 04 Apr 2019 09:05:38 +0000Spring Tea Offerings and Longjing-Themed Gourmet @ China World Summit Wing, Beijinghttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14232:spring-tea-offerings-and-longjing-themed-gourmet-china-world-summit-wing-beijing&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14232:spring-tea-offerings-and-longjing-themed-gourmet-china-world-summit-wing-beijing&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2China World Summit Wing, Beijing Present Longjing Tea or Dragon Well Tea, as well as a collection of tea-inspired delicacies from 1 to 30 April 2019, in line with the launch of Shangri-La Group’s ‘Spring Tea at Shangri-La’ campaign across 48 Shangri La hotels in mainland China to celebrate the spring tea harvest season. The hotel has also prepared as election of exclusive spring tea gift items for guests to bring home a taste of spring.

Shangri-La Group specially sources its spring tea from the Longjing Tea plantation in the West Lake region in Hangzhou. Tea from this centre is famous for its colour and fragrance. It owes its fine qualities to the area’s unique weather and favourable environment as well as to the high selection standards and processing methods.

Three of the hotel’s outlets, The Red Chamber, Noodle Bar and The Lounge, also present a wide selection of culinary specialities inspired by the flavours of Chinese tea.

The Lounge presents Longjing-inspired desserts, and the pastry chef has created surprising flavours by blending Green Tea with different elements like mint, red bean, orange blossom and chocolate.

"We are passionate about celebrating local produce and encouraging creativity among our culinary teams. The Spring Tea at Shangri-La experience brings together the group’s warm hospitality and tea heritage in China by offering a tea-inspired culinary journey to our guests to make their entire tea experience even more memorable,” said Andy Chan, Shangri-La Group’s vice president, food and beverage (Asian cuisine and beverage).

Spring Tea at Shangri-La gift sets are available for purchase. Golden Circle members can enjoy up to 25 percent savings on the a la carte spring tea set and spring delicacies. For more information and for reservations, guests may visit golden-circle.com/thetable/spring-tea.

Chinese green tea has a long history and is renowned for its greenish colour, pleasant aroma, gentle flavour and beautiful bud shape. The tea bushes are rich in nutrition and flavours from the past winter.

Before the Qingming Festival on 5 April, the first flush (known as Mingqian picking) begins at the end of March. Fresh tea leaves are brought back from the high terraces and immediately hand-stirred and dried by experienced tea roasters. Tea picked during Mingqian, particularly Longjing Tea, is considered premium and renowned for its great complexity and long-lasting flavour.

Hotel created an Environmental Awareness corner, showing the damages caused by plastic, and Hotel’s initiatives on replacing plastic with biodegradable products. This campaign corner is located in Hotel Lobby and started to display 7 days in advance to increase guest’s awareness. The displayed items of this corner are transferred to Hotel Back Of House area to increase staffs awareness as well.

The Earth Hour Event was held on 30 March. Medias, corporate guests and over 30 families were invited to participate on the night. The Hotel and Tianjin Children Art Institution jointly held the Environment Themed Art creation. Over 60 children and their parents were involved creating blue sky, white clouds, coral, and fish with Clay by hand. This activity allowed the children to start being environmental friendly starting from childhood, and let the environmental awareness take root in their hearts. Meantime Hotel prepared cocktail and snacks, buffet dinner, lucky draw and games. All the guest spent a very joyful and meaningful evening.

The evening ended with a photo taking session with the Pan Pacific brand logo and the words ‘Earth Hour’ laid out with 350 tea light candles. Curious guests inquired about the Earth Hour movement and were left to ponder how they can incorporate environmentally friendly actions in their daily lives.

]]>Tianjin SocialWed, 03 Apr 2019 09:15:56 +0000Earth Hour 2019 @ Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotelhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14230:earth-hour-2019--renaissance-tianjin-lakeview-hotel&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14230:earth-hour-2019--renaissance-tianjin-lakeview-hotel&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotel goes dark for one hour on March 30th to shine a light on climate action in support of Earth Hour 2019.The hotel will join millions around the world in turning off its lights at 8:30 p.m. local time to illuminate a powerful message about environmental awareness and action. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) created the annual global environmental awareness event 12 years ago to emphasize the threat of climate change.

To support Earth Hour, Marriott International North China Business Council, Tianjin Sub-council plant trees at Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotel on that day. Total 5 hotels participate in this environmental activity to remind people to care about climate change.

Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotel invited guests to experience one of the Tianjin famous folk art and also a Intangible Cultural Heritage “The Kite Wei”, and also participated by turning off exterior signage lighting; diming or turning off non-essential interior lighting and using candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars.

"Each year, we celebrate Earth Hour and are reminded of the importance this event has in bringing awareness to the pressing issues of climate change” said Denise Naguib, Vice President of Sustainability and Supplier Diversity. “We have a responsibility, and an opportunity to share this message with the millions of guests and associates through bringing Earth Hour to life tonight, and continuing the focus every day through our sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360.”

Last weekend’s marathon staged in China’s Jiangsu province attracted scorn both on and off the track with a woman runner brazenly using a bicycle during the marathon, while there were cases of looting from bystanders after boxes of bananas and water bottles placed along the race route were taken away for personal consumption.

In what is becoming an increasing worrisome trend of cheating and scandalous behaviour at marathons on the mainland, the third running of the Xuzhou showpiece – which saw three races being run, namely the marathon, half marathon and 7-km “fun run” – was marred by theft with race volunteers saying some members of the public took away boxes of refreshments meant for the athletes.

Volunteers took to social media to voice their grievances, saying some people could not understand why they were not allowed to take the boxes home.

"Once the race was finished [on Sunday] they started to take everything. I could not believe what was happening,” wrote a volunteer on Weibo. “Even during volunteer training last Friday, people were taking things away. They were hard to stop,” wrote another volunteer on Chinese social media.

Netizens were quick to condemn the “uncivilised” behaviour, calling one woman who tried to take away boxes of refreshments and was filmed arguing with volunteers a “laughing stock for all to see”.

"She had no shame and she lost face. She’s uncivilised,” wrote the netizen. Organisers were aware of the problems and have vowed to make sure that entrants are genuine runners in a bid to stamp out cheating. Organisers said they might impose a qualifying standard for runners in future. More than 22,000 runners took part in the day’s event with 25-year-old Xuo Bujie winning in 2:10.09. About 7,000 took part in the marathon.

Organisers, meanwhile, banned the bike-riding female runner for life after she was seen several times riding a rented green-coloured bike along the route on her way to finishing the marathon in five hours, 38 minutes and 36 seconds. The “runner” who was surnamed Meng could face further punishment from China’s athletics association (CAA) after “violating the rules”.

]]>China socialWed, 03 Apr 2019 08:45:12 +0000Sony to close smartphone plant in Beijing and shift production to Thailandhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14228:sony-to-close-smartphone-plant-in-beijing-and-shift-production-to-thailand&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14228:sony-to-close-smartphone-plant-in-beijing-and-shift-production-to-thailand&catid=26:china-finance&Itemid=65Sony Corp will stop making smartphones in China, the company said in a statement. As part of Sony's efforts to restructure its mobile business, the company will stop production at its Beijing smartphone plant, Beijing Sony Ericsson Putian Mobile Communication Co, at the end of March. The plant has offered its employees plans to terminate their contracts starting March 20, said the company.

Sony will continue to sell smartphones in the Chinese market and continue marketing activities, as well as provide comprehensive services and support for Chinese customers, the statement said.

Sony has five plants in China, including the Beijing one that is being closed.

Globally, Sony has two smartphone plants, one in Beijing and the other in Thailand. There are no plans to shift production to the Thailand plant. Sony will continue making phones in the Thailand plant and continue outsourcing manufacturing, a Sony spokesperson told the Global Times on Thursday.

A man tries out the Sony PlayStation VR during CES 2017.

According to Sony's earnings report in 2018 from October to December, its sales revenue declined by 10 percent year-on-year. While its mobile communications unit lost 15.5 billion yen ($140.4 million) in the period, according to the report released in February.

As a Cantonese cuisine expert, Chef Gohfocuses on utilizing traditional as well unusual fine ingredients with a respect for culinary heritage to elevate taste and presentation. His contemporary interpretation of the fine art of Cantonese cuisine is celebrated.

Cantonese cuisine places importance on the quality of food ingredients and nutritional value. As a result, Cantonese cuisine has widespread influence and is used in many fusion foods, making it a signature Chinese food culture. Over a career that has spanned nearly four decades, Chef Goh has refined each dish repeatedly before introducing it to his menu offer. He then gathers diners’ feedback to continue to enhance the dish to reach a level of perfection in terms of taste and presentation. Chef Goh believes that a dish can be described as “delicious” only if it is accepted and welcomed by all guests, not only by food experts. Chef Goh’s signature dishes include Buddha Jumps over the Wall Soup “New Century Style”, Stir-fried Grade Nine Wagyu Beef Tenderloin Cube, Pan-fried Country Chicken, Chef Private, in which diners will taste the unique flavours of his cooking philosophy.

Cooking is an essential part of Chef Goh’s life. In his free time and during vacation trips, he scoursout of the way places to sample local foods and discover new ingredients so he can create new culinary experiences. This passion in discovery is a key element to Chef Goh’s cooking inspirations.

As the Executive Chinese Chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin, Chef Goh will oversee the culinary operations of Tian Tai Xuan, as well as the hotel’s Chinese luxury banquets. His on-boarding adds new dynamism and excitement to The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin, and will take guests on wonderful, memorable Cantonese cuisine journeys.

Tian Tai Xuan is a stylish and contemporary Chinese restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin. Tian Tai Xuan conveys elegance, sophistication and prestige through a warm, organic design palette punctuated by dramatic, natural design. This two-story contemporary Cantonese restaurant features 10 luxurious private dining rooms and a private elevator for the discerning guest looking to wine and dine in privacy. A menu of authentic Cantonese cuisine with regional influences is artfully presented by the Chinese Executive Chef as well as a focus on seasonal local Tianjin cuisine by the restaurant’s Tianjin Cuisine Master Chef.

Beyond brand recognition and renowned world-class service, China by Four Seasons understands what it takes to deliver a successful event. Whether a hotel buy-out or an exclusive high-level Board of Directors meeting, expectefficient execution of logistics with a personalised touch as Four Seasons Meetings and Events experts coordinate everydetail; from the point of reservation to bespoke event planning, departure arrangements and the final billings.

Now into its fourth year, nine Four Seasons hotels in Greater China offer the Meetings with More package, a programme that has been designed to provide more savings, more flexibility, and more customisation to meet the needs of each group.Valid from April 1, 2019 until March 31, 2020, the Meetings with More package* at Four Seasons offers nine benefits, of which meeting organisers may select any three, at any of the nine Four Seasons hotels in China. Planners can choose from credit towards their next meeting, 10% savings on Meeting Package published rates, room upgrades, breakfast inclusions, preferential rates on food and beverage, spa and transportation, among other benefits.

With hotels and an urban resort located in major China gateway cities, Four Seasons offers access to rich culture, historic landmarks, creative cuisine options, exciting teambuilding activities and more. Cities are also located in close proximity within a quick 30 to 60-minute travel by train, land or ferry, making it easy to organise dynamic combination ‘pre or post’meeting trips; be it from Shanghai to Hangzhou,Beijing to Tianjin, orbetween the four hotels in the Greater Bay Area.

Outside of the meeting room, Four Seasons puts forward some of the most exciting attractions, UNESCO World Heritage sites and entertainment that China has to offer. Guests can enjoy on-site Michelin-starred dining in Hong Kong, Macao and Guangzhou, swim with the skyscrapers at the 41st floor pool in Shanghai at Pudong where James Bond movie Skyfall was filmed, and rejuvenate with therapeutic treatments at some of the finest spas in Asia. From wandering through the UNESCO ‘City of Design’ in Shenzhen, the historic corridors of Shanghai at Puxi, to magnificent UNESCO World Heritage sites in Beijing, to exploring the beautiful mountains and temples of Hangzhou, or a night out at the Italian-style street in Tianjin, each destination offers unique opportunities for recreation and group activities.

NORTH CHINAHistoric heritage sites, unique cultural offerings, efficient transportation network, as well as unparalleled meeting infrastructure and facilities gives a competitive edge as a meeting destination.

The imperial city’s take on modernity! Witness one of China’s greatest historical treasures from a private helicopter with Four Seasons Hotel Beijing. The unparalleled Great Wall experience begins in a luxurious private limousine, travelling from the Hotel to the lift-off location. Before take-off, guests can relax in the airport lounge while sampling delicious dishes from the Hotel. Once on board, guests are provided with headphones for an immersive audio tour, and a professional GoPro camera to record the incredible scenery. And finally, on the ground, participants embark on a guided hike, then a picnic lunch at the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For a kick-start or an evening sundowner, enjoy drinks with a view at Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin with the property’s unique Welcome Cocktail experience at their modern and stylish Aria on 9 sky garden. Guests can savour creatively crafted delicacies paired with unique "First in the World" clay-aged cocktails by a dedicated culinary and service team, while appreciating its artistic design and stunning view in the heart of Tianjin.

EASTERN CHINAA combination of historical attractions and first-rate infrastructure brilliantly positions cities in this region for various international summits, seminars, meetings and forums.

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake offers one of China's most picturesque and inspiring meeting destination. Ideal for exclusive corporate retreats, the Hotel can create a custom-built experience to help delegates slow down and reconnect in this soul-stirring natural environment. The ultimate "lunch break" venue can be in the form of a traditional wooden boat from the Hotel's private dock whilst guests sail across the tranquil waters of West Lake.

Four Seasons Hotel Pudong invites guests to a “Night with Sleepless Shanghai” with special arrangements for a sight-seeing double-decker bus. A welcome reception, after-service and concierge giving personalised tour guidance make viewing the famous Bund and Lujiazui landmarks a joy.

At Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, spend time with the Hotel’s talented young artist-in-residence, Bojun, and create a unique painting with elements of Shanghai; whether traditional Shanghai food, unique architectural designs or must-visit attractions of the city. With each guests' input, Bojun will refine and customise the drawing to an art masterpiece which makes for the perfect souvenir to take back to the office.

GREATER BAY AREAThe Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is set to become a global technology and innovation centre, with the city cluster focused on fostering more cultural and creative high technology industry initiatives on the mainland.

Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou, the city’s towering landmark at 437.5 metres high, invites guests to savour a gourmet dinner enriched with a fascinating visual show of the four seasons, a sensory 'garden' with lights, sounds and scents. The entire function room will transform into a live garden setting, with customised lighting imagery that will accompany each course to enhance the dining experience. An immersive visual experience that gives guests an unforgettable journey through the four seasons.

At the Pearl of the Orient, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong’s ‘Well Feeling’ Meeting Package aims to improve business efficiency by bringing mental and physical balance to the meeting room. Healthy food, mini guided group meditations with the Hotel's Spa experts, and even a stretching corner with fitness staff, is all designed to spark productivity, tap into creative energy, and leave colleagues feeling good all day long.

‘Walk on Water’ at Four Seasons Hotel Macao as the Hotel offers an innovative MICE experience with a host of transparent underwater platforms that creates a float-on-the-pool outdoor cocktail or banquet experience, perfect for those looking to wow clients and guests.

Sizzling with fun, dynamism and youth, move on to China’s ‘Silicon Valley’ and do a‘B.Y.O.B.’ at Four Seasons Hotel Shenzhen,where meeting planners will get an interactive first-hand experience by ‘Building YourOwn Banquet’ event. An ideal team bonding session that divides meeting participants into activity groups to master the craft of setting up their own event through working closely with the Hotel’s Director of Banquet Operations and Executive Chef; from setting tables, arranging flowers and creating cocktails, to getting hands-on with cooking for their banquet.

So whether looking north to Beijing and Tianjin; east to Shanghai and Hangzhou; or south to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Macao and Hong Kong, Four Seasons has its finger on the pulse of business in China, providing every reason to make Four Seasons the choice address for seamless and memorable meetings.

* The promotion is applicable for in-house groups of 10 rooms and above. Subject to space and date availability, and for new bookings only. Terms & Conditions subject to specific property. Some benefits may not be available at every hotel. Please enquire when booking.

Regulators have approved China's first pension insurance company run by a foreign insurer, a move that analysts predict more foreign financial companies would follow as China continues to open up its financial markets.

Heng An Standard Life Insurance, a Chinese-British joint venture with 50-50 ownership, has been approved to set up the country's first foreign-invested pension insurance company, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) announced in a statement on its website on Wednesday.

Heng An Standard Life Insurance's pension insurance company will be the ninth pension insurance entity in China.

Heng An Standard Life Insurance's application was the first case in the insurance industry since China's legislature passed a new foreign investment law this month.

China raised the ceiling for the proportion of foreign ownership in the insurance industry to 51 percent, and will remove the restriction after three years.

The CBIRC also approved two applications from foreign insurers for greater market access and expansion of their business scope. In 2018, seven applications for foreign-funded banks and insurance institutions were approved.

The CBIRC will continue to push for the opening-up of the banking and insurance sectors and allow more qualified foreign-invested banks and insurers to participate in China's financial markets, said the statement.

]]>China FinanceTue, 02 Apr 2019 09:53:15 +00001.8 RMB to Enjoy your Metro Trip in Tianjin http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14224:18-rmb-to-enjoy-your-metro-trip-in-tianjin-&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14224:18-rmb-to-enjoy-your-metro-trip-in-tianjin-&catid=55:tianjin-social&Itemid=2Tianjin Metro premiered its own mobile payment app. During the public holidaysfrom April 1st till June 30th, 2019, passengers only need to pay 1.8RMB for the whole one-way ticket. Through this app, passengers can use the QR code payment to enjoy this discount.

Step 4: Set up your Wallet (you can choose link to your bank card or Alipay)

Step 5: Click the "QR Code" to start your trip

]]>Tianjin SocialTue, 02 Apr 2019 09:44:11 +0000Tianjin Plus OUT! April 2019 Editionhttp://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14223:tianjin-plus-out-april-2019-edition&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27
http://businesstianjin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14223:tianjin-plus-out-april-2019-edition&catid=2:tianjin-finance&Itemid=27China has a long history of excelling in sports; that is why it is not surprising that they hold numerous sporting events in the country. Building China into sport’s power is part of China's goals. China has evolved to be a popular contender in the aspect of competitive sports. Meanwhile, there are still a several traditional games which are also beautifully executed in China. You can read in this edition some of the sporting events to be held in China in 2019 which you can enjoy.

With the spring season very suitable for sightseeing and outdoor activities, you can read our Top List of recommended places to embrace nature, try out something new or rediscover China’s rich culture. Some are well-known tourist spots, while others are offbeat destinations for those adventurous-at-heart.

Choosing a restaurant from one of the thousands in Beijing can be an interesting task to do since its food is a mix of international influences and many generations’ traditions that offer locals and tourists the opportunity to try a full range of options. Beijing Beat helps you out by compiling some of the most comfortable local restaurants that you can’t definitely miss.

An increasing number of people are turning towards wholesome vegan diets these days. The general trend all over the world is an inclination towards going clean and green. And that is further induced by fitness and lifestyle channels. So you will find in this edition 10 super rich plant based protein sources that you can include in your diet.

I am sure you will also find very interesting all the other articles published this month, and we hope that you will enjoy and find them useful in your daily life.

Don't forget to visit our website www.tianjinplus.com and follow us on our official WeChat account (ID: tianjin_plus) for more articles and information.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March, annually providing an important moment to showcase commitment to women’s achievements, raise awareness, and highlight gender parity gains, and more. So, each year on this day, the world inspires women and celebrates their achievements.

Business Tianjin Magazine in tandem with Shangri-La Hotel, Tianjin, were able to host a leadership Lunch at the Shang Palace Chinese Restaurant, celebrating the limitless potential of women and allowing the top Women leaders and executives of Tianjin to network and connect with each other in order to enhance their important roles in the society to build a better tomorrow, and to empower women of the future.

The Chinese economy has printed downbeat numbers, many of which are far below expectations. The numbers do not come as a surprise to many who were waiting for the economy to show signs of a slowdown. Global demand is weakening due to slower global growth. The domestic market in China seems to be faltering, manufacturing activity is shrinking in medium and small size factories, but while the economy is showing signs of weakness, many analysts are still optimistic and believe that many tools can be used to stimulate the economy.

In early March, at the “Two Sessions” of the National People’s Congress, the chairman of the NPC standing committee, Li Zhangshu, noted that a property tax would be among those taxes that would soon be implemented, without specifying exactly what that time line was. This is at least the third time this topic has been brought up at this level, signalling action is coming. Michael Hart, an expert of the Real Estate sector in China provided to us a good introduction of this topic in this issue.

You also should not miss the Tech article as well. While it definitely sounds bizarre and indistinguishable from a sci-fi movie plot, the day is probably not too far when tiny robots, known as nanobots, will roam freely inside your body to detect and cure various health hazards, including humanity’s worst nemesis: Cancer. Amazing, right?

Visit our website www.businesstianjin.com and follow us on our official Wechat account (ID: business_tianjin) for a complete list of articles and information.